Finding hope in shadows.

Each of us has a shadow; in any direct light, you will find it cast. Standing right behind you, out of view. Our shadows represent all the things which we can’t see in ourselves; the darker shades-- and sometimes even the difficult truths which reveal the layers in our identities and societies-- those which we no longer claim, which remain hidden and unseen. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in Kuwait, those very shadows became exposed-- perhaps not openly in the face of the public, or even in the national response, but within our very social fabric and system.

The Neighborhood Tales: Kuwait Under Lockdown project is an attempt to bring those very shadows into light, to document and capture the hidden, unheard and unseen perspectives and experiences of people which were affected by the crisis in similar and dissimilar ways. It is a call for us to reclaim our shared history, to highlight the rich diversity in our lived experiences and to create room for more hope, more compassion and more resilience in our society. You might see yourselves in some of these stories, you might even relate to a few of our narrators-- in any case, we ask of you to listen, to truly listen to their testimonies. And as you listen, we invite you to explore the overlapping intersections in our identities, and in our experiences and understandings of home, of loss and gain, of separation and connection, of safety and insecurity, of fear and courage, as we navigate the pandemic and reflect on these past months.

We offer this collection of stories to you, in the hopes of connecting; of bridging the divide across our neighborhoods and our shared experiences and humanity. To find out more about this project, our process and collaborators, click here.

PART I - Navigating health institutions

FARHAN - An Indian white-collar professional recalls his journey through institutional quarantine — **FARHAN** - An Indian white-collar professional recalls his journey through institutional quarantine

SARAH - A young doctor shares her experience and learnings working in a COVID ward — **SARAH** - A young doctor shares her experience and learnings working in a COVID ward

AHMAD S. - A repatriated student reflects on family dynamics and the state of the country — **AHMAD S.** - A repatriated student reflects on family dynamics and the state of the country

ARASH - An Iranian nurse shares his experience of self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 — **ARASH** - An Iranian nurse shares his experience of self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19

ABU ABBAS - A spare parts dealer living in Khaitan shares some of the struggles he is facing — **ABU ABBAS** - A spare parts dealer living in Khaitan shares some of the struggles he is facing

PART II - Financial impact

NOORA - A young bidoon entrepreneur reflects on the impact of the pandemic on her community — **NOORA** - A young bidoon entrepreneur reflects on the impact of the pandemic on her community

ZAHRA - A small business owner and homemaker reflects on work and family life during COVID — **ZAHRA** - A small business owner and homemaker reflects on work and family life during COVID

KHALA - A self-employed house-keeper shares her financial and emotional struggles during lockdown — **KHALA** - A self-employed house-keeper shares her financial and emotional struggles during lockdown

ABDUL QADIR - A young Indian man recounts his experience of institutional quarantine — **ABDUL QADIR** - A young Indian man recounts his experience of institutional quarantine

C’JAY - A Filipino store manager describes why and how he continued working throughout the pandemic — **C’JAY** - A Filipino store manager describes why and how he continued working throughout the pandemic

PART III - Community organizing and finding purpose

CASTILE – A nurse shares his experience as a frontline worker and volunteer during the pandemic — **CASTILE** – A nurse shares his experience as a frontline worker and volunteer during the pandemic

MARGIE – A Filipino beautician reflects on the importance of family and community in times of crisis — **MARGIE** – A Filipino beautician reflects on the importance of family and community in times of crisis

ASHWIN – A community organizer talks about his work supporting other migrant workers in Kuwait — **ASHWIN** – A community organizer talks about his work supporting other migrant workers in Kuwait

ANWAR – A domestic worker describes her reliance on faith and her need to give back — **ANWAR** – A domestic worker describes her reliance on faith and her need to give back

MOHAMED – A young Bohra man reflects on the power of community and collective action — **MOHAMED** – A young Bohra man reflects on the power of community and collective action

PART IV - Home and belonging

MEENA - A mother reflects on her experience being separated from her family for seven months — **MEENA** - A mother reflects on her experience being separated from her family for seven months

SIDI - A Mauritanian public school teacher shares insights into the lives of expats in Kuwait during the pandemic — **SIDI** - A Mauritanian public school teacher shares insights into the lives of expats in Kuwait during the pandemic

ALEX - An 85 year old woman shares how she stayed connected with the outside world whilst in self-isolation — **ALEX** - An 85 year old woman shares how she stayed connected with the outside world whilst in self-isolation

DIA - A young Indian woman born and raised in Kuwait reflects on her sense of belonging and privilege — **DIA** - A young Indian woman born and raised in Kuwait reflects on her sense of belonging and privilege

RANA - An Egyptian pharmacist reflects on her work and home life, whilst in the throes of COVID-19 — **RANA** - An Egyptian pharmacist reflects on her work and home life, whilst in the throes of COVID-19

PART V - Psychological impact

AMAL - A young Palestinian copes with workplace discrimination and mental health challenges whilst in lockdown — **AMAL** - A young Palestinian copes with workplace discrimination and mental health challenges whilst in lockdown

NADIA - A pediatric physiotherapist and mother juggles online schooling and therapy with her own angst — **NADIA** - A pediatric physiotherapist and mother juggles online schooling and therapy with her own angst

RAM - A Nepalese social worker recounts his efforts to help those affected by the lockdown and spread positivity — **RAM** - A Nepalese social worker recounts his efforts to help those affected by the lockdown and spread positivity

MERIYEMI - An Ethiopian nanny nurses her newborn child and constant worry whilst trapped in lockdown in Mahboula — **MERIYEMI** - An Ethiopian nanny nurses her newborn child and constant worry whilst trapped in lockdown in Mahboula

HUSSEIN - An Iranian oncology nurse navigates the chaos, loss and uncertainty of life in Kuwait post COVID-19 — **HUSSEIN** - An Iranian oncology nurse navigates the chaos, loss and uncertainty of life in Kuwait post COVID-19

PART VI - Personal learnings

HAMZA - A Lebanese architect rethinks his future in Kuwait, due to the national response to the pandemic — **HAMZA** - A Lebanese architect rethinks his future in Kuwait, due to the national response to the pandemic

HELEN – An Ethiopian sales associate shares her struggles and daily experiences of lockdown in Mahboula — **HELEN** – An Ethiopian sales associate shares her struggles and daily experiences of lockdown in Mahboula

LAILA – An assistant teacher works to support her family and community in Kuwait and the Philippines — **LAILA** – An assistant teacher works to support her family and community in Kuwait and the Philippines

AHMAD B. – An assistant pharmacist reflects on separation, injustice, and life in Kuwait post-COVID — **AHMAD B.** – An assistant pharmacist reflects on separation, injustice, and life in Kuwait post-COVID

PEDRO - A Filipino social worker shares his efforts to deliver aid and support expats in lockdown — **PEDRO** - A Filipino social worker shares his efforts to deliver aid and support expats in lockdown

Neighborhood Tales Reading & Listening Guide

We invite you to use this platform to promote conversations and critical reflection in your homes, classrooms, and community spaces. Our hope is that the stories shared here will help pave the way towards a greater understanding, empathy, and solidarity in our community.

Neighborhood Tales Guestbook

We welcome your response to the above stories, you can write opinion pieces or academic papers, draw paintings, produce songs, dance, or utilize other avenues to engage with these testimonies, and share how they made you feel. We are also interested in examining the thoughts or memories they provoked, or what you determine are the key themes that they’ve unearthed about our societies. Simply put, we would love to know your own interpretation, and based on your unique and special talent or skill how you can help us derive more knowledge from our testimonies. We are compiling a repository of reflections and feedback here, so feel free to browse and contribute.

Important Note on Privacy : All narrators have given consent to the public dissemination of their recorded and written testimonies. The audio files contained in the narrator pages is only a snippet from the full recorded interviews. The latter will only be made available to researchers and educators upon request. In order to protect the anonymity of our narrators, all their names have been changed, and any identifying details have been redacted. Some of the narrator’s voices have also been modified for additional security.

Photos by @dizizhan