2020 achievement #One

Local author published in pandemic anthology

Food soldiers appears among the 100 selected entries

Gauteng, South Africa, (November 30, 2020) – It’s been more than 8 months since a global pandemic shattered our world. Perhaps for the first time in history, people from every continent are experiencing the same emotions—fear, anger, sadness, anxiety. How are they coping? What are they learning? How have they changed? Writers and artists of every age from six continents have contributed original art, photography, poems, essays, fiction and scripts to create In the Midst, a COVID-19 Anthology. The works reflect a common humanity beyond age, ethnicity or location—the raw  emotion of being In the Midst of a global pandemic with no end in sight is universal—and captured here to share with the world.

People are suffering in so many ways from this unprecedented situation. But the pages of this anthology carry much more than tears. They also show the resilience of the human spirit. Some offer encouragement. Some ways of coping—especially creative ways, such as taking up new hobbies. Others find humor in hair, the quest for toilet paper and the mandate to “wash your hands.” Some describe new skills or practices that have improved their lives—things they will retain long after the pandemic is over. And many show appreciation to the ones who’ve sacrificed to keep the world moving.

Local writer, Setjhaba Ernest Moleko , has been published in this anthology. His essay, “Food Soldiers” appears among the 100 selected entries. The anthology was sponsored and coordinated by Inspiration for Writers, Inc. 

“I’ve always said that when you share your art or your writing, you share your soul,” says editor and Inspiration for Writers, Inc CEO Sandy Tritt. “I hope you are as touched as I have been by these honest, from-the-gut reactions while still in the midst of this historic pandemic. Hopefully, we’ll see our way out of this soon, and this anthology will become a collection to help future generations understand what it was like to endure separation from friends and family, shutdowns of schools, churches and “non-essential” businesses and, of course, the fear and suffering caused by illness and death.”   

Copies are available from Amazon (ASIN B08NX43Y4L for the Black and White interior or B08NX6Q2Q1 for the full color version) or contact editor Sandy Tritt at IFWeditors@gmail.com. 

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About Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

At Inspiration for Writers, Inc., our mission is to assist writers of all skill levels in achieving their writing and publishing goals. We accomplish this by teaching the craft of writing, by identifying issues that will prevent publication, by encouraging writers to bring their writing to the next level, and by supporting those writers throughout the process. Incorporated in 2009, Inspiration for Writers, Inc. has been on the web since 1999, making it one of the oldest continually operating online editing firms. Our clients hail from every state within the United States and from more than fifteen countries. Our goal is simple: to make you the best writer you can be. Learn more about us at www.inspirationforwriters.com.

Corona @ Work 2020

           

Things truly are tense these days at work. With this Covid19 pendemic at its thickest now that it's winter, more and more of my colleagues keeps on getting sick.

Our boss the owner of the shop we work at is not determined to close down his shop because he claims that more staff members keeps on getting sick because they do not follow the health rules and regulations of always wearing a face mask, washing their hands regularly and maintaining social distance as they should.

He says that he won't ever close down his business because of people who are careless and do not follow instructions.

But I on the other hand believe that our boss is being utterly selfish and inconsiderate of us his staff members, the heart and soul of his so_called_business. How can he gamble with our lives like this? I like many of my colleagues keep asking myself without getting any answer whatsoever.

True he'd been vigilant, overprotective and proactive in making sure that all his staff members don't ever get sick when all this thing started. He bought us all the face masks, ensured that our hands and that of his customers were properly sanitized before entering the shop. He even had those fancy looking stickers on the floor that ensured that the customers maintain a safe following distance as they cueud to pay for their groceries.

However prepared he was though, we as his staff members were bound to get infected someway or the other because first of all when the government announced the national lockdown we were exempt from it. Unlike other professional workers that were under lockdown, we were expected to go to work as usual as the president had certified us as one of the essential service providers. We traveled from home to work in taxis full of people who had no masks on. We met and dealt with customers who came from all over. We packed up the stock that was already touched by other people somewhere. We handled money that had already passed from many other hands. We worked in the cold environment.

But now that we have seen some of our colleagues getting sick and have a few confirmed cases in our workplace our employer doesn't want to do the right thing and close down his business like all other business owners do when their staff members are found infected with this vicious deadly virus.

One of our colleagues approached our boss with the suggestion that he considers closing down the business but as expected our boss refused to heed the advice in spite of having more than four people from different departments sitting at home sick with the virus.

With other departments understaffed and some workers overworked there seems to be no rest for many of us as we are all expected to do the work of other staff members who are absent from work without even being compensated accordingly for our efforts.

Looking at this situation, I've come to  believe there is a thin line between being a pationate business man and a greedy slavedriver whose only interest is making more money in expense of people's lives.

If this is the way people who have money treat those who do not have any, then I am content with not having any. I now believe that the poor man is closest to God because he appreciates the little things unlike the rich man who worships silver and gold and does everything he can to get his hands on it.