COVID-19 has obviously affected life for everyone. I wanted to take a moment in this blog to share a few day to day happenings around the Strugnell household in a COVID world.

Our MAF team is divided into two teams. Two pilots on each, with the idea that if someone gets sick, the other team is completely separated and can keep working. I am on the ‘Operations’ team, as opposed to the ‘Mechanics’ team. That means either 2 or 3 days a week I am on-call, and the other days I am working from home. Lately we have had a good amount of scheduled flying, meaning a few of those days every week I am going to the hangar to do normal flights as well.

Emily and Jane are at home. Jane’s school remains closed and probably will be until at least after the winter holidays that end in August (is that confusing if you are American? Yes, winter holidays ending in August!)

When I wake up, the first thing on my mind is always a panicked ‘is the coal stove still alight?’ Our house is warmed in winter by an anthracite burning stove. I love this thing, but if you look at it wrong it can go out! Each one has a personality and demands that you treat it exactly right in order for it to provide you with a constant supply of heat. Outside temps at night get below freezing, and inside doesn't stay much warmer if it wasn't for the stove. So, I wake up, stoke the stove and refill it, and then get the coffee pot on.

Jane and Emily soon arise from the cold side of the house and gather by the stove. It usually doesn't take Jane long to wander over to our living room area to start piecing together a new Lego creation. Since lockdown, we have essentially turned our living room into a full time building area. Jane and I spend lots of time there, making whatever new idea comes to mind.

At some point after breakfast, Emily gets Jane going on some work that her school has been sending. Basic math, writing and coloring flags of African nations. Jane usually fights it for a while and ultimately gives in and does it.

Emily’s day is a dance of constant interruptions and divided attention. Jane’s school, the usual housework, and Pulane Children’s Centre management. That last point shouldn’t be understated. Sometimes I don't even realize how much information she is getting from our staff looking for advice and direction: What should the do about this sick child, for example? Well, for Emily that involves asking all the details, then relaying that to our doctor friend who freely offers advice, and getting that back to the staff in a way that they can act on with their limited resources. That’s just one example. She is always helping the staff make plans, work with the budget, solve problems and offer fresh advice. While the staff do a great job, I know they appreciate Emily’s reassuring guidance on a daily basis.

Between Emily and I, we also do the accounts for PCC, and work with donors and supporters. The Trust that Emily directs actually oversees 4 projects: Pulane Children’s Centre, Thuto Shepherd School, Thuso education fund and the Semonkong sponsorship program supporting older people in the Semonkong area. The trust is in charge of all 4 projects, and while PCC takes up the bulk of the time, the other 3 are financially managed by us.

When I work from home I am typically working on maintaining our safety systems at MAF. That means looking at problems that have been identified in the last few months, and figuring out ways to mitigate the risks on those. Often that involves working on new procedures, improving systems that we use, or taking action on things that need improvement, like working on our airstrips.

At some point in the day, we get out into the sunny big yard we have, and get some jumping in on the trampoline. We are so grateful for our huge garden!

Grateful to have a treadmill for late workouts

Grocery shopping has been an event since Covid-19. While it’s getting better, there was a period where it was hard to get certain items. On a day that I’m not on call, Emily will go and do our shopping. Usually it also involves getting supplies or medications for PCC as well, and so the shopping trip is usually a few hour endeavor.

As the day winds down, Emily and I try and get some home-based exercise done, which is a great way to unwind and warm up!

At first it was hard to adjust to the new normal, having Jane at home full time and not being able to visit friends. However, as the weeks go by we feel more and more how this is now a new baseline, and anything extra we get to do is a bonus. The South African border remains closed, so we are not able to travel to larger cities like Bloemfontein for specific supplies, and that, as well as not seeing friends or family, feels like the biggest and hardest change.

We are certainly not in a position to complain, and we are grateful that we have so much access to things here in Maseru. So, settling into a new normal is really not a big ask if it helps to keep us and others safer.