Cherishing human connections in the time of coronavirus

M’hammed Kilito — Marrakesh, Morocco

M’hammed Kilito, 39, was in Europe when the Moroccan government announced it would be closing the border. “I was lucky enough to make it on the last plane home,” he said. But that relief turned into loneliness. Afraid that he might have covid-19, M’hammed decided to quarantine himself for 14 days, away from his parents. “If I hadn’t been in Europe, I think I would have been with my family like the majority of Moroccans who have been reunited to live these moments of confinement together.”

During these 14 days alone, M’hammed photographed his life away from other people. “I started to abide to a boxing routine,” he said. “I took up the trumpet, which I hadn’t touched in five years. I also spent time reading.” Near the end of his confinement, the lack of a human connection started taking its toll. “I lost the will to do anything. I didn’t want to read. I didn’t want to listen to music. I didn’t want to cook,” he said. But there was always the light at the end of the tunnel of self-containment: to be reunited with his parents and his brother.

“After 14 days, I was able to join them, which did me a lot of good,” he said. “Finally, human contact.” Link to The Washington post article here.

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