As a young girl, I had dreams which kept me focused on my studies. I was always an A-student. I never thought I would ever join the statistics of unemployed youth in South Africa. I felt so helpless. It was as if I disappointed that little girl in me who had big dreams, whose sky was no longer the limit but a surface. Disappointments from people are easy to walk past through. At least you have something to shift the blame to. The distress is worse if it is self-inflicted. It is hard to deal with feelings of self-disappointments. That little girl in me might not be proud of what I have become, but she is sure proud and content with how much I fought to be where I am today. I am just grateful to God because I am not where I used to be.

The dynamite Nsatu and I had joined heads to pen down our experiences with (Un) employment in the pandemic. I met Nsatusile during the WinterABC2021 challenge in June. And I loved reading her stories. It was her authentic self that prompted me to keep checking her work daily during the winter challenge. Check her incredible blog https://missnsatu.wordpress.com/ and experience her many skills and talents. She is not only a creative writer but a whole qualified Lawyer.
We agreed that we would tackle both angles of the coin. From unemployment to being employed and the pecks which comes from both sides. Similarities, differences, and the overall sense of humanity whether you are employed or not. Hope you enjoy the read.

Lebogang – 🇿🇦

Unemployment in the pandemic.

My own experiences on being unemployed.
I had my fair share of actively seeking employment but was unable to find one. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Just when you finish your studies, super excited to work for what you studied. I could not fight back the excitement of earning a salary, having my apartment, and taking full responsibility for my family. Having been raised by a single parent, my earnest dream was to see my mom stay at home – not working. I wanted to take full responsibility for her and my siblings. The reality of life proved me contrarily. I found myself working jobs that I did not study as. That was not even the case. The case started when I did not even get any employment to begin. I applied for every post I saw on the internet, social media, and word of mouth. People would notify me whenever there were any opportunities, and I would faithfully apply. But nothing came through. At times I did not even have data to send out emails. Now the hustle shifted from looking for a job to hustling few bucks to buy data bundles.

How unemployment affected my mental health
There are a lot of slurs attached to unemployment. It is like watching your own life being flushed down the drain every single day when you wake up in the morning. Sometimes you question your sense of living. By the grace of God, I never had suicidal thoughts. Whenever people spoke about their unemployment seasons, suicide is often mentioned. It gets to a point where you question your ‘why’ of living. For me, it affected my mental health. I fell deep into anxiety. The thing with anxiety is that it induces you to direct your focus, into the problem, not the solution. Instead of exploring possible doors, your mind starts playing games with you and makes you believe that your life is over. You begin to think that you will amount to zero in life. Fear starts slithering itself in, and next thing you are deep into the den of lions which you do not know how you got there.

Isolation
I began to isolate myself. Being in the midst of people gave me severe despair. I constantly gauged myself with those around me. I felt like I did not fit in some spaces. Isolation became my only rescue. I am naturally joyful to be around, so my family started to notice some changes in behavior. I got disgruntled quite quickly, which was unlike me. By the grace of God, I have the most loving family who covered me with love more than anything. To them, I was still a sister who had the potential to achieve anything I wanted. Whatever they saw, it did not quite make sense to me. See, sometimes we love to be ‘Mother Teresas’ in our families. We put too much pressure on ourselves unnecessarily, only to find that they love us the way we are, not for what we have and accumulated. Yes, they wish the best for us. It does not mean when we have not achieved anything, they would not love us. They would still show us love and care.

Peer pressure
Do you know why sometimes we go through anxiety and all the discomfort which comes with being unemployed? It is because we compare ourselves with our peers. I have emphasized this quite a lot of times on my blog about the comparison. It is very dangerous, and it can cost you happiness. I saw most of my peers already having jobs, depicting cars, and others already getting married with baby number two on the way. I started having panic attacks. I spent most of my time on social media, depressing myself even more. I got used to congratulating people and thought I would never make it in my life. Comparison is toxic. If we were not comparing ourselves with other people, we would never feel as though we missed out on anything. Because we would be focusing on our own lives. Let me warn you of the effects of social media. Comparison is induced by the mirage of lifestyles we see on social media. I am not saying you should stop using social apps. Limit your time if possible. We use social apps for marketing, advertising, and all the other benefits. So it can be advantageous to us. However, manage your time on social media and guard your heart.

How to deal with negativity that comes with being unemployed.

Celebrate life.
I realized that we are all facing something in our lives. Unemployment does not begin with me, and it will not end with me. My emotional state became a priority. I got tired of all sorts of negative emotions. People perceive unemployed people as lazy, and I believe that unless one goes through the season, you would never understand the emotional trauma which comes with being unemployed. It is even harsh if there are responsibilities and bills to settle. You apply and knock on every possible door, but nothing comes up. I want to encourage you to stop being hard on yourself. Most of the people got retrenched and lost jobs during the pandemic. You are not alone. Appreciate yourself and celebrate life the best way you know-how. God has plans for your life, it is not over yet.

Have a vision
It was a vision that kept me going. I knew what I wanted and where I was going. That is why I was able to remain focused. Jot down your vision and start cultivating it. You know too well what you are good at, develop your skills, and start working. Do not wait for things to come into place. Start wherever you are, with what you have. If it is a business, do not wait to have capital. You can start with what you have as you grow.

Lessons.
The unemployment season of my life taught me to focus on my purpose and deepen my relationship with God. When everyone else was busy with the hustles and bustles of this life, I had more time to study the word of God and pray. My faith became my priority. God developed my patience and taught me to put my confidence in Him. At the time, I did not see it, but I realized after I passed through that phase that God was right there with me holding my hands and directing my paths.
Unemployment is real. Especially now during the pandemic, people got retrenched, and others lost their jobs. It is only fair to assist where we can and be there for each other. If you are unemployed, do not be afraid to start from the beginning. Build yourself with anything and grow into it. Your employment is in your mind and of course, your hands. Use your skills wiser.

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Nsatusile – 🇿🇲

Employment in the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has mandated several transitions in people’s lives. From personal choices like diet styles, hygiene measures, personality adjustments for people that loved uncautiously being around others. To impersonal options, or consequences, such as the closure of business, restructuring of scheduled events and guest lists to loss or modification of jobs.
Undeniably, the employment and unemployment talk during the pandemic is one conversation to be had, over and over again. It has affected so many people in different ways.

How I got my job
I am currently working as a tax/legal consultant for an outstanding organization, EY Zambia. I got my job in 2019, slightly after graduating from my undergraduate LLB program. It was after a series of unsuccessful applications in various firms and organizations. Till an opportunity came up through one of my best friends, who encouraged me to “give it a shot” and I did. A few days after my very challenging interview, I was called for placement. I have been learning and growing from then till now.

Working under the lockdown and how you coped
Before the pandemic, our office had a lot of habits that consistently formed our culture. Every morning, I would walk up to my desk and settle in. And this would usually be followed by making a cup of tea or coffee as I caught up on emails and read through the newspaper. Our breakfast sessions were enjoyable bonding time, from cracking jokes about sugar preferences to sharing what the other person packed.
Another common activity that was part of our office culture before Covid was celebrating wins or goodbyes through “Take 5” mini parties. Food platters and drinks would be bought after work hours. People would just relax from the day, dance, sing along and share a good laugh.
When Covid-19 Pandemic rolled out, the entire firm employed remote working as a safety measure. It meant effective immediately, all members of staff were to work from home. A year later and this remains a firm policy.
At first, I thought working from home would be undeniably cool, I mean… no traffic jams, or wearing heels and “office clothes”. The first few weeks were enjoyable. However, it dawned on me that all the in-person bonds that formed our culture would be gone. Further, with setbacks such as load shedding and terrible internet network, working from home was proving to be more cumbersome than imagined.
Another downside to remote working for me was having the same environment for most things. My bedroom was my office and class as I had online lessons at the time too. I got stressed out.
I continue to learn to maintain a balance of my worlds.

Gratitude for being employed in these trying times
Despite the few challenges that I face in adjusting from the old way of working to the new normal, I recognize and count my blessings. I am eternally grateful to be employed in these difficult times, where people were being laid off or having their benefits readjusted. I do not take it for granted. It is for this reason that I always strive to perform at my best. And not abuse the blessings God has given me.

What could be done to eradicate such a high are of unemployment
In my country, Zambia, a lot of factors may be cited as causes for the high unemployment rates. From the private sector perspective, I believe the question is mainly that of capacity. Digital transformation and consequent closing of physical offices have led to the laying off of workers, such as office orderlies. Further, the automation of most procedures has seen technology replacing people that would do the manual task. To eradicate unemployment in the private sector, I feel incentives need to be improved to allow for growth and increase employment capacities so that salaries are not looked at as an unnecessary cost.
From the public sector perspective, I believe it all goes down to good governance. A good governance structure or system would allow for policies to be put in place to firstly curb corruption which takes away money that may be used for developmental projects. For instance, if more industries were to be opened, it would capture and create jobs for people in both the formal and informal sectors.

Words of love and encouragement to both the employed and unemployed
To everyone employed: Firstly, if you are part of the health care system and have been one of our frontline workers, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY salute you. Thank you for your grace, dedication, and sacrifice. Thank you for saving lives. Secondly, for everyone who is an essential worker showing up in offices despite the pandemic, whenever you feel overwhelmed, please be reminded to count your blessings instead. Thirdly, to everyone learning and trying to adjust their lives around remote working. Stay in there. Find breathers and ways to reduce burnout that is increasingly high from feeling confined in the same environment. Above all, stay grateful for the blessings that you have.

To everyone unemployed: I know it can’t be easy. We live in a world where the cost of living keeps escalating, making it hard to keep up. I am Christian by faith, and I believe in the Lord making all things beautiful in His time. Your season will surely come, and it will surely be astonishing. I am sending you love and prayers.

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Let us know your experiences in your unemployment season. What lessons have you learned? How was your mental health?
If you are employed, what are you grateful for? What challenges are you encountering at the moment?

And if you have not checked my recent posts yet, please do so. Until next time, peace be unto you.

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