Coronavirus happened and is still with us. Its impact has been far reaching, and many lives have been deeply disrupted, even lost. Africans have sought to cope with it in various ways, including giving it names of derision, names of defiance, and names that point to a determination to overcome it. In one of Kenya’s languages, it is referred to as kinguki giki. Kinguki means uproot, upheaval, disruption, destabilization, something that goes against the grain of established order. True to the word, coronavirus has shaken to the root the fundamentals of the neoliberal economy and our current lifestyles.

This book opens a window to how Africans in different contexts respond rapidly to covid, adapt to new realities, work with the most vulnerable, engage systems, and begin to transform towards a better world. It comprises 29 chapters about lived experiences of coronavirus in East Africa and beyond. The collective of 40 authors from over 20 countries narrates experiences through various socioeconomic, political, and cultural lenses. Regardless of their circumstances, coronavirus had an impact on every one of them and on their families. The stories in this collection highlight challenges, new opportunities, and ultimately the deep resilience of communities across the continent.

The full book is available on Academia and Researchgate.

To quote this book:

Kinyanjui, M. N., Thaker, R., and Toure, K. (Eds.) (2020). Covid stories from East Africa and beyond: Lived experiences and forward-looking reflections. Bamenda: Langaa.