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Community member and hobby photographer Silvia Salvador created an amazing video to show the KAUST community what our Front Line Workers have been doing for us behind the scenes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Silvia put a lot of time and effort into this video by capturing the many aspect of support we receive from our Front Line Workers. The result is a great show of appreciation for all their efforts.

You can watch the video here and read Silvia's personal story below:

"My contribution to the community

or

The therapy I needed to handle my fear

The news about a newly discovered coronavirus a couple of months ago for sure hit me as much as everybody else. The uncertainty, fear and sadness made me struggle a lot and interfered with my daily life.

I started to think about my children and husband, and about my family abroad. My parents who are 76 and 80 years old and high-risk patients. Staying at home and homeschooling my children, while working myself and delivering, was not that easy. Knowing things will not be the same anymore and that we will not be able to go back to "our normal", to what we were used to, made me hide in my bedroom many times, so my children would not see me crying.

I think the saddest moment was one evening at dinner time, when my husband looked at me and the children and said: "Why is mommy so sad? From all of us, she is the one who is supposed to smile and laugh and make us feel good." I knew he was right.

One day a friend of mine texted me on WhatsApp, telling me he was following pictures on social media about Front Line Workers all over the world. He asked me if I wouldn't want to take pictures of those people here in KAUST. Although at that point I was not motivated at all to do anything, I gave it some thought and slowly I became more attracted to the idea.

So, I pulled myself together and contacted Community Life and the Taskforce. I immediately got support from their side and they provided me with contact information of the KAUST Front Line Workers.

Suddenly I got my mojo back, as well as my confidence, energy and enthusiasm. And this is how everything started. During lockdown, curfew hours, homeschooling, discussions, tears and self-doubts, this project kept me going.

It made me feel alive again. It showed me what is important in life; family, love and kindness. The world is in this together and together we can do it. It is not easy at all, but it will get better. We can't lose hope. Don't get me wrong, I still have those bad days, but not as much as in the beginning.

This project is to show appreciation, not only to those who work on the front line, but to everybody who is in this difficult situation.

My mom, who turned 77 years old on June 21st, whose birthday I would love to have celebrated with her, and whom I would love to have given a hug and a big kiss and tell her I love her in person, once said: "After rain always comes the sun again." Indeed, I am smiling and laughing at home again.

Please stay safe!

 – Silvia"