Durgaadevi D/O Soundara Rajan

S-PM0118/19

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late 2019
and quickly became a global health crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared
COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, acknowledging the widespread and sustained
human-to-human transmission of the virus across the globe.

1.The thinking that you have on the issue highlighted in the video.

Based on this video, there are few issues being highlighted such as below:

Lockdowns, restrictions, and economic downturns caused by the pandemic have led to
widespread job losses and increased unemployment. Many businesses, especially in sectors like
hospitality, tourism, retail and self-employed, faced closures or reduced operations, leaving
millions of people without income.

School closures and the shift to online learning have disproportionately impacted children from
low-income families who may lack access to necessary resources like computers and the internet.
Education disruptions can have long-term consequences for future employment opportunities and
perpetuate cycles of poverty. This digital divide disproportionately affected students from lower-
income families. The disruptions caused by the pandemic may have long-term consequences on
education. Learning gaps, particularly among vulnerable populations, may widen, and it could
take time to address the academic and social impacts of the disruptions. Even though some
countries have achieved or advancing in technology, still there are some countries which having
issue in this term. The country is unable to provide the basic needs when faced with a world-
wide crisis. This can clearly be seen in this video.

COVID-19 can place a financial burden on individuals and families due to healthcare costs,
especially in countries without universal healthcare. The expenses related to testing, treatment,
and long-term care can push households further into poverty.

2. How do you feel when you think about the fate of the child?
When think about the child in the video, I do feel empathy since the future of the child is left
hanging to uncertainty. Especially when education is their only hope of achieving a better life.
This situation where the parents are also unable to provide any help in term of education, shows
how worried and sad they are. The children also tend to have mental disorientation. Children
have faced mental health challenges due to the pandemic, including the stress of uncertainty,
changes in routine, and social isolation.

Besides that, I also feel worried on the child future. This will indirectly cause Uncertainty about
the future, concerns about the impact of the pandemic on children's development and worries
about potential long-term effects can contribute to anxiety among the children. With this the
child will be unable to lead a normal life due to prolonged exposure to anxiety, eventually
affecting his future undertakings.

3. What will your action be to help the child?

My action to help the child will be in term of getting him the help needed to continue his studies.

This is by getting him at least a mobile phone for him to attend the online classes for him to
catch up on with his studies. This will enable him to gain knowledge and secure his future. Only
education can help this child to overcome the poverty in his family and upgrade his life towards
a better one.

Finding a secure job for the child’s father will also be included in my actions. With a proper and
secure job, the dad will be able to provide this child and his family members with sufficient care.
He will be able to send this child to school or attend virtual classes without dropping out. A
secured earning will ensure the family’s well-being.

Medical help will also be one of my actions to help this child. This is because the money he
earns is only sufficient to cover his mother’s medical expenses. If the medical cost is taken care
of, the child will be able to focus on his studies, rather than spending his time scavenging for
scrap items.