The second wave of the fatal pandemic is hitting Uganda hard and another COVID-19 lockdown is upon us. As much as the initial lockdown in March 2020 left much of the country and sectors of the economy crumbling, it was inevitable to announce a second – even before recovery – as the registered positive cases of the virus are on a sharp rise.
So, with everyone at home, how can you remain productive from where you are without getting stressed by the lockdown environment? We are giving you some of the effective ways to do so.
Customized data bundles for the lockdown
Working from home is never an easy thing, especially with the so-disturbing internet speeds. In the midst of the March 2020 lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic, various telcos came up with innovative ways to serve their customers that had shifted to remote work.
These included data bundles such as the Work From Home (WFH) bundle from MTN Uganda which offers 1 GB at UGX 2,000 running from 9 am to 5 pm; as well as the Hakuna Matata combo bundles from Africell Uganda. These will come in handy during this second lockdown and can be of great effect to achieve productivity.
MTN also recently announced a new product for customers, Cr8YoBundle via the MTN Pulse app, that allows you to create your own bundles. Here, you simply need to have your MTN Pulse app on to get started.
If you are running on a set budget, the invention of non-expiry data bundles could also be an advantage to you. MTN has the Freedom bundles while Airtel Uganda runs on Chillax bundles. Either way, as long as they give you a reliable alternative, you can choose to flow with them across the period you are held at home.
Go cashless this COVID-19 lockdown
It is evident that one of the key spreaders of the virus is exchange of cash without a followed up sanitization. How about you do away with this in this lockdown as you adapt to a cashless form of transaction? There are so many ways to do it!
SafeBoda has innovated SB Money, a platform that allows users to send and receive their money within the app at no extra cost. Here, you can get to complete your other tasks such as deliveries, airtime purchases, among others on the app with the wallet balance.
Then we have virtual cards on the market. Airtel partnered with Mastercard to make this available, and MTN has always had its MoMo card. You can use these to complete any payments and transactions that require cards of this nature. Eversend also offers the service, in addition to its exchange services.
These shall all be an addition to the mobile money options in place. In the previous lockdown, telecom companies waived charges on withdraws. We are waiting to see if a similar initiative is put in place given that customers already incur a tax when translating their float into cash with the telecom agents.
Read About: Ugandans to receive COVID-19 relief through mobile money
Use collaborative tools
Working remotely as a team often requires collaboration, and such times as the lockdown often require tools in place to support this. Slack is one of the most widely used tools by remote teams. It has the ability to install apps that automatically report on business activity and bots that help keep employees engaged.
Zoom is the other tool that has become of importance in this pandemic. From enabling teams to set up virtual conferences, to ensure there is reliable communication, it comes in handy. There are numerous other available options for collaboration including Google WorkSpace, Microsoft Teams, among others!
Take online courses to boost your skills
A lockdown should not be a time to let go of your career and goals. It should, instead, be the time you develop your skills and abilities with online courses. For everything you wish to pursue, there is an online course to expand your knowledge.
You can make use of platforms such as edX, Coursera, Udemy, and others to equip yourself with the knowledge to apply in your career path. There are free courses as well as paid-for options, depending on your capability.
When the lockdown is lifted, you should be in a position to provide accountability of how much good you gained out of it. With the above tips, you should register more results than expected.