The Work from Home Life Amid The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

2020 has blindsided a lot of us. We could not have anticipated the amount of losses we would be facing in just a few weeks. Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to loss of life as well as a loss of income for many people around the world. It’s been extremely difficult to follow the news as the number of deaths and stories of layoffs and pay cuts continue to rise every day.

It’s been surreal to see things that I never thought would happen such as closing of schools, offices and borders. The new normal is homeschooling, e-learning, remote working and cashless transactions. 

I’ve been working from home for a few years now, so thankfully, I already have a schedule that I follow that helps me stay productive. I’ve been watching friends who are used to an office environment struggle to adapt to this new normal. It requires a high level of discipline, but also a high level of boundaries. You need to know when to put work away and do something else. Hopefully, the sentiments I’ve heard of 16 hour days while now working from home will stop once people realize that it is not only unsustainable, but also a slippery slope to burn out.

One of the best things to come out of this global pandemic is the stepping up of a number of corporates to support their customers during this difficult time. It’s been amazing to see the humanity in businesses that understand that community matters and that their success is closely tied to the well-being of their staff and their customers.

Here in Kenya, one of my favourite brands, Safaricom, has been leading the charge in supporting their customers as well the efforts in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Safaricom is the quintessential Kenyan brand, and is a big part of so much that is Kenyan. From my phone number to my home internet to mobile money, Safaricom, like for so many Kenyans, is a big part of my life. These services are basically utilities now.

Safaricom has stepped up in a big way to support Kenyans by:

• Increasing M-Pesa transaction limits to Ksh 150,000 up from Ksh 70,000 for a single transaction and a maximum daily transaction value of Ksh 300,000, up from Ksh 140,000. Also, fees on transactions of Ksh 1,000 and below have been waived for 90 days. 

This is a welcome move as it makes it easier especially for those of us in business to go cashless, decreasing ways in which coronavirus can spread. It also makes it easier to practice social distancing and work from home if you can pay for all your shopping and other services through M-Pesa. I have been taking advantage of this and it’s made it that much more convenient to stay home.

• Providing fixed data customers with double the bandwidth. 

I am a digital native, and this has been a Godsend. I work from home and most of my work is online, so bandwidth is an important issue. With the rest of the 9-5 working population also working from home, the need for great internet connectivity has never been higher. With Safaricom having the best infrastructure, it only makes sense that they would be best placed to offer this crucial service.

There’s also the reality that with students at home, homeschooling and e-learning are the new normal, and these require a steady internet connection. My friends who are parents have been taking advantage of various online resources to keep their children busy and this will go a long way.

• Taking measures to protect customers and staff during this pandemic.

In as much as we are social distancing, there are a number of us who still need to go out to work. There are also important errands that we all need to run from time to time. Safaricom has taken all the necessary precautions at its outlets including physical distancing protocols, availability of sanitizer, protective gear for staff and thorough cleaning and disinfecting at the outlets.

This is a trying time for everyone around the world, and I can only hope that things get better in the coming months. For now, I am grateful for life, the ability to work and the wonderful people I count as part of my community. 

Remember to wash your hands, limit unnecessary movement, social distance and keep a positive mindset.