It is expensive to purchase basics if you do not earn in US Dollar in my country as prices are pegged against this currency and recommended nutritious food is expensive. Most clinics have closed down but on the bright side, most public places give free hand sanitizer and citizens wear masks in public. I am locked down alone but I share a house with two other families.
Being far from family
It was difficult at first because I stay in a different city from my family due to work and travelling to see them is cumbersome but I have managed to stock up on some food and adopted some coping mechanisms like; playing music, reading new books and occupying myself with online initiatives on fighting gender based violence.
I am currently not facing any sexual and reproductive health challenges at this time of COVID-19 as I have opted for celibacy even though I do understand that SRHR goes far beyond that. As a way of aiding the situation, I sometimes give my family money and at community level, I raise awareness on ending gender based violence, during this pandemic.
_About the #YouthAndCOVID19 Series_
The UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office through its flagship programme for youth, the Safeguard Young People programme, has been engaging with young people in the region to find out how they are coping with the current COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the project is to share best practices among the youth and to expose them to the many interventions and responses to COVID-19 that UNFPA and its partners have put in place during this time.
To share your story, [click here](https://twitter.com/UNFPA_SYP).