When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I launched a project on his Facebook page. I called it “Life in Quarantine.”
It is a record of their life, their stories, in their own words with my pictures. In a time of social distancing, the visual representation of events is at risk of being minimized. I hope to help document this tumultuous and changing time.
A portion of the photo-documentary series is appearing on Oklahoma Watch as part of The Coronavirus Storytelling Project (see below). You can find Part One here.
Today, the subjects are Kristen Cowen of Okarche, and her son, Chaden.
Kristen Cowan, 36, Okarche
(Interviewed March 25)
Everything happened so fast. I went from working full time in the dental office to being a stay-at-home mom.
I am torn between loving the extra time I’m getting with my son and feeling hopeless because I can no longer financially help my family.
My everyday activities now include cleaning all the time and worrying if my son is still learning enough.
Am I doing enough? My own thoughts torture me.
I miss working and the social life of seeing my friends and going out.
But I’m thankful to have my boyfriend and son to get through this with.
Dany Varghese is a freelance photographer in Oklahoma City. His photo-documentary series “Life In Quarantine” expands on the project launched on his Facebook page Dany Varghese Photography. Contact him at dany.varghese12@gmail.com.
The Coronavirus Storytelling Project is a collaboration between the Oklahoma-based Inasmuch Foundation, the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Watch to help state journalists who have been furloughed or displaced as well as those in struggling community news organizations. The Inasmuch Foundation has pledged $50,000 to launch the project and provide five $500 grants to those accepted into the project each week for the next four months. Apply here. Stories and photos are available for republication with appropriate credits. To republish, contact Mike Sherman at msherman@oklahomawatch.org.