As part of the Gaza Project, youth from Gaza and Tromsø shared their experiences being in lockdown with us. We asked them how their lives have been affected by COVID-19 and the following lockdown both in Gaza and in Tromsø, and they shared their honest, sometimes raw, and insightful remarks on the situation they have been through. These texts were written in the course of March 2020.

Today we hear from Diogo, a young Portuguese veterinarian working in Tromsø.

How is the pandemic affecting your daily life?

It affected my social life. Less hours of sleeping (due to concern about several issues). Also, I got more conscient about my body and my movements. Although I still go out of my house due to my work.

How do you feel towards the current locking down, disconnecting and interconnectedness?

I cannot process it yet. Due to reality, my soul is behaving like a brown bear during the winter. My soul entered in a den and started to hibernate.

Photo by Louis Munk Klarup

How do you see the future after all this?

It is still too early to see something from this social/economic storm. Although, there is already a positive effect regarding - a "hope" to the environment: lower CO2 emissions, lower marine traffic... But I believe that would have some changes on a regional, national and global level in the society, economy, and politics. There would be a higher national or even regional (as the USA or Germany) self-sufficiency as a result of the corona crisis. However, it could reinforce the already existing conservative and populist trends criticizing globalization. Although there would increase local civic initiatives and people will be more active in their communities. I hope this pandemic would be "Achilles' heel" of Donald Trump for the next elections. Also, new questions would pop-up regarding the society: for example, why a football player should earn 200x times more money than a nurse, lab technician, doctor?

Can you share with us a text/story/photo essay that reflect your experience during this time?

The lyrics of "A Sea of Roses" - The Milk Carton Kids

Text by Diogo Marques

Photos by Daniel Jensen and Louis Munk Klarup

Find out more about the Gaza Project here!

My Lockdown Life: Diogo Marques / Gaza Project