Good Tidings from Corona

Unlikely as it may sound, I have been thinking. In the midst of the doom and gloom brought about by Corona, I have observed a lot of good outcomes from the crisis. Seeing as we have enough negative energy to last a lifetime, I thought I would take this opportunity to spread some good vibe, courtesy of COVID-19. One of the positive results of the pandemic is that, in addition to thinking, I have dusted my old laptop and decided to write it down. It’s been a while so I might be a bit rusty.

Family Time
No one would have guessed it. All the notorious absentee dads (and some mums) are at home. They are not just passing by in their endless pursuit of putting dinner on the table. They have to sit at that table during three meal times, and all other times in-between. Spouses are also getting to rediscover what made them love each other all those many years ago. Others are getting to discover dark secrets that they missed during their dating, courting, and marrying days. Family unions are getting enriched whichever way you look at it.

Vice Cure
Many people have discovered that it is possible to overcome strong addictions and bad habits without therapy. They have come to learn that all they need is a novel virus on the rampage to make them kick all their evil habits. Alcohol does not go down well for most Kenyan drinkers when they are at home. It is a social habit and being kept away from bars and other social places is a sure way of kicking the drinking habit.

Subsistence Farming
Somebody posted on a cooking group on Facebook about beans that sounded like those in the story of Jack and the Bean-stock. They got a handful of beans which they threw in their backyard. In a few months it has produced a lot of beans with which they have tried all sorts of recipes. The giant bean-stock is still growing and has even spread to the neighbours’ compound. It made me realise that people are now thinking of how they can grow their own food. With many markets closed, getting that bunch of Sukuma wiki can no longer be taken for granted.

Manufacturing
In barely two months, Kenya can produce hand sanitizers and face masks meeting international specifications. Millennials may not know this but this is a fraction of what Kenya used to achieve in manufacturing as recently as thirty years ago. In the eighties, vehicles, electronics, clothes, and even pencils used to be manufactured locally. Companies such as Philips, Toshiba, and Sanyo used to have active factories supplying television sets, radios, and phonographs (not pornography). RIVATEX and KICOMI are not new companies. In those days they were blue chip companies. Now thanks to Corona, industry is waking up from its long slumber. We have even developed our own respirators in record time.

Self-Reliance
Rich people who surround themselves with servants now have to cook and do their own dishes. They are realizing that keeping their houses clean and tidy is not rocket science. Some even think they have been overpaying their domestic workers. It was not by choice that they are home alone. It is because they cannot trust their humble minions not to introduce COVID to their sanitary homes. These hard workers have thus been given indefinite unpaid leave until the crisis is over. It is not so good for the workers.

Saint Trump
The goodness of Trump has never been so obvious. His tantrums have inspired hitherto developing countries into power houses. What was a campaign slogan of ‘putting America first’ now sounds like a sweet gospel. Trump has made Africans realise that they are capable of doing all that they always run to the west for help. Refusing to submit his contributions to WHO has woken China to take the slack and give all that the US would have given and more. There is now more money for the World Health Organisation to combat COVID-19. This is all thanks to Trump. I hope he gets re-elected. Another term with the yellow-haired one and we are going to have an industrial revolution.