Are you prepared for post-Covid?

Throughout all his public addresses, President Museveni has been challenging us to embrace the opportunity that has come with the Covid-19 disruptions. Can we treat the current disorder as an uninvited guest that has come into our midst to reorder our way of being and challenge us to rise to our best?

During his May 1, Labour Day celebration address, the President listed a number of areas that are to be crucial towards the sustainability of the nation as we learn to navigate the current Covid-19 pandemic. The core essential sectors that the president listed are food, shelter, medicine, infrastructure, clothing, health system, defense, education and spirituality.

Now that majority of us have started to regain back some of the pre-lockdown freedoms, I want to challenge everyone to reflect on the lessons learnt and what they mean for everyone going forward. I have observed that people were quick to return to their previous way of life like nothing had been learnt.

Majority of young people were quick to return to the busy environment of city life in total disregard of the existing guidance on social distancing and other directives. Just as majority of these non-essential categories were struggling to jam their way back into the city centre, there was also the silent minority of farmers, healthcare workers, security personnel, and others who were working tirelessly to ensure that the country continues to operate.

The truth is that we have only managed to come this far because this category of essential services decided to continue providing their services as the rest of us were locked up in our homes.

I, therefore, want to challenge everyone, especially the young people, to use this opportunity to reflect on what essential service they intend to provide, post-Covid. What will your essential service be? How will you use what matters in service to yourself, your community and the world?

These reflections have an investment perspective to the way people intend to manage their lives. For example, the Covid-19 experience should be a lesson to all young people that investing in agriculture is far more productive than investing in boutiques, gambling, etc. I believe that everyone will use the current experience to reflect on what they are witnessing.

Let us take seriously the guidance of the President on the vitality of science in the growth and development of our nation. Science provides us an opportunity to be essential service providers. I want to encourage parents to reflect with their children on the career choices that they would like to take.

Whereas it is important to invest in individuality, the current crisis informs us that the most important investments are those that affect humanity. I want to challenge everyone to rise up to the challenge and show our country how to put back the pieces of our lives together again in a more creative and progressive normal that positions essential service at the centre.

Everyone should be determined never to be locked down again in the event that new infections continue to rise. Everyone should endeavour to be among the essential service providers. Making the crossover into the essential service category requires good investment intelligence and common sense.

I want to thank all people, who have returned to their home villages to avoid the hustle and bustle of Kampala. As we reflect on what life will be post-Covid, let us also change our behaviourial aspects .

Ms Nabakooba is the Minister for ICT
and National Guidance.