R A O U A A
In conversation with Raouaa:
documenting the challenges that families face
"Staying home is too hard, especially since the kids are home. I'm trying to help them with their homework and studying, and I'm studying too because I'm in college, so I'm taking classes online. So I'm trying to balance between the kids, school, and being a teacher, and my school, and my husband. And all the family is staying home, especially since it’s Ramadan time now. And it’s getting harder and harder but I'm trying to put everything and organize everything.
I'm working with my kids, I'm staying with them when they take their classes online, I go back and forth between my kids. And after they're done their classes, we rest a little, because before sunset, we have to start cooking for the Iftar, which is the dinner. We start two hours before. And my kids are helping me, preparing the food, eating the food, we eat dinner altogether. And after dinner, each one stays with their phone, game, watching TV. I'm used to it now. It was hard, but I'm used to it now.
After the Iftar dinner, after I drink my tea, I lay down like for thirty minutes. After that, I start my studying online for college. Sometimes it takes me four hours, five hours, maybe more, and I stay until two in the morning doing my work. It’s too hard for me, especially since I'm working with the kids during the day and then doing my studies during the night. Plus, I'm cooking every day, every day big meals for the family.
I have three classes online and I'm having a hard time with my classes. I need help because it’s hard for me. I'm an English learner and I've barely start learning English. The school work and the homework that they give us is very hard for me. I don’t have anybody to help me. Sometimes my kids help me, but sometimes it is very hard. The teachers want good grades, but I can’t, it’s so hard for me.
I wish and I hope that this virus is going to be gone and everybody is going to be healthy, and people go to their job, to their work, kids go to their school, and the life is normal.
Sometimes my husband takes the two youngest for a short walk after dinner just because they want to go out. But I want my life to go back to normal."
- Raouaa, translated by Asia
Reflections on Ramadan 2020
"Ramadan this year is different, because everybody stays at home. It’s only good for the kids, because they get to stay home. When they go to school during Ramadan, it’s hard because they are fasting. But since they're staying home this year, they like it. But for parents, it’s hard to have the kids home so much and we get tired. My husband is tired of staying home because he is used to going to work. Now, he stays home. After Ramadan, he will need to search for a new job."
- Raouaa, translated by Asia
