‘If I Had a Magic Wand, I Would Erase the Last Month from the Lives of Everyone’

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"If I had a magical power, I would like the children to go to school and play on the streets," says Kevser. Her classmate Yağız adds, "I would go back in time, find the first person with Covid-19 and treat her."

As for Arda, he knows that the elderly are affected by coronavirus the most: "I would prepare a medicine and develop a vaccine so that coronavirus will not kill the old people." Then, Musa answers: "If I had a magic wand, I would erase the last month from the lives of lives of everyone."

All of these children are fourth graders from a primary school in Okmeydanı, İstanbul. During their distance education, teacher Ebru asked them, "If you had a magical power..." They have written down their answers, most of which have a wish in common: A life free from coronavirus...

Kevser: I wish the virus would end

"I would like to live in a world where there are no wars, no diseases, no hunger. I would like to live in a world where women are not killed.

"I would use my magical power to make our world a livable place. I wish children would go to school and play on the streets. I would like to find the vaccine of the virus and use the vaccine so that people will not die. And I also wish that virus would end and we all live in a world without wars. Thanks very much to our health workers working for people at hospitals."

Yağız: I go back in time and...

"I have a magic wand in my hand. I go back in time with that wand. I find the first person with Covid-19 and start to treat her.

"After the treatment, the patient gets well. And Covid-19 does not spread to world. People do not hear about it. When we return everything to the normal, let's enjoy the weekend. I did my homework. I did a little reading. Now, we are going to the fun fair with my mum and dad."

Medine: I read a book, then indulged in my dreams

"If I had a magical power, I would save the elderly. I would find a treatment for coronavirus and save everyone. Then, I could reunite with my teacher and friends. I want to have fun and be at school now. But, there is none of them any longer. If a cure was found for coronavirus and if I could reach my dreams and future, I would be very happy.

"Now, I read a book and finished it. Then, I indulged in my dreams. I am doing homework on my own in my dreams. My teacher and my friends are not with me. Don't forget, you have a future."

Arda: I would vaccinate the sick to heal them

"If I had a magical power, I would like to save our world from coronavirus outbreak and I would like to heal the sick by giving them medicine or vaccines. I would remove coronavirus from our country.

"And I would prepare a medicine so that it will not spread and I would use my magical power to destroy coronavirus so that it will not come to our country and to our world ever again. I would like to end the wars. Virus is an invisible enemy. Coronavirus kills the elderly, I would like to prepare a medicine, a vaccine so that it will not kill the old people. I miss you a lot."

Musa: I want to see my grandparents live

"If I had a magic wand, I would erase the last month from the lives of everyone. I wish children would play at parks, not at home. I would like children to take lessons not at home, but at school desks.

"I want to see my grandma, grandpa and all my loved ones live, not on the screen of a phone. No one should be confined to their homes, no one should be away from their loved ones. I want our freedom."

Ravza: If people have no guns, they cannot hunt

"If I had a magical power, I would like to destroy the guns. If there are not guns, people cannot kill each other for no reason, there will be no wars. People cannot hunt and animals will not die."

Yağmur: If only children lived the life they want...

"If I had a magic wand, my only wish would be this: I would like all children to be equal. I mean, I wish children were not made to fight in wars, they were not subjected to violence and not abducted. Also, I would like children to live the life they want freely..."

Teacher Ebru: Children need psychological support

Teacher Ebru says the following about their class activity:

"When I asked them 'If you had a magical power' and wanted them to write a piece about it, I have realized that almost all of them want to get rid of corona. I mean, in such a period as this, I have understood that my students need psychological support, rather than an academic one. That is why, I would like to use the art and literature to make the lessons more enjoyable for them and to help them spend a more quality time...

"We started it by writing, we will continue with other artworks and in other fields. For instance, we do a different activity every week, such as 'I am cooking a cake with the ingredients at my home, I support my family by baking a bread, I interpret the works of famous painters, I create my own patterns with mandala and zentangle, I am making a bracelet with different methods.' We are waiting for the days when we will reunite by staying in interaction like that, albeit from afar." (AÖ/SD)