What the children think

Marco and Sara talk of their experience of the confinement from COVID-19 in 2020. The twins’ parents are of Albanian origin, and arrived in Turin in the 1990s.

Marco, 11 years old 

We are twins, but nobody believes us. I, Marco am a little smaller and more delicate than my sister Sara. I dress as a 10-year-old boy (!!!) … my sister when she grows up, she wears my mother’s shoes. How ugly and heartbreaking when they told us we couldn’t go to school! 

During the covid we were locked in the house with no chance to go to school. My parents were very worried, because both of them had lost their jobs, so we had a lot of trouble getting on. 

“Daddy I’m worried about you! Watch out for work” but after a few days daddy went home too… one day, two, three and I said to Sara “Daddy is sad”. You know he doesn’t work and mum’s at home too!  

At the end of March the video lessons started and I did my best to get good grades. 

For our birthday we won’t be able to have a party if we are at home alone, nobody will remember the 15th of May! Three times a week we connect with the class and the teachers… 

 “Mom, do we have to make the connection this morning too? It’s our party! And no one will wish us good luck like other years!” “Patience Marco, you know we have to defeat the coronavirus!” 

The teacher greets everyone, she calls us all! Then he says again “Marco are you there?” 

“Yes, here I am, Teacher”, my heart is beating, I haven’t studied as much if you ask me! 

“Marco, we want to congratulate you, today is your birthday!” And so the whole class sings “TANTI AUGURI” and claps their hands! I was moved. How did the teacher remember my birthday? It was a big surprise that I didn’t expect. 

After all those video lessons and at the end of the school year I met with the teachers and classmates for the last time, we had fun and played. It was a very hard experience and very different from what I imagined. 

Sara, 11 years old 

During the covid we were locked in the house without going out and without any possibility to go to school. My parents were very worried about what happened during the covid, in fact they were both out of work, we struggled to get on. When the video lessons started, Marco and I did our best to achieve good marks. It was a very hard experience, I just hope it doesn’t start again. 

Marco and Sara (these are not their real names) attended the fifth elementary school last year (2019 – 2020), they were both promoted with very positive reviews and in September 2020 they started middle school.