Even though they only had mild symptoms, Idris Elba says he and his wife had their lives “turned around” after contracting the coronavirus, calling the experience “definitely scary and unsettling and nervous.”
“You know, everyone’s sort of feeling the way we have been feeling, but it has definitely been sort of just a complete upheaval,” he told The Associated Press late last week. But the British actor feels that there are life lessons to be learned, and the pandemic serves as a reminder that “the world doesn’t tick on your time.”
“People forget that 80 percent of the poor population live in rural areas,” Dhowre Elba said. “What we are really worried about at the moment, and why we are launching this fund is that those people are being forgotten.”
In their new roles as U.N. Goodwill Ambassadors, Elba and his wife have joined forces with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to launch the new $40 million fund.
Both Idris Elba and his wife have roots in Africa. Elba’s parents are from Sierra Leone and Ghana, while Dhowre Elba is of Somali descent. The pair went to Sierra Leone in December with the United Nations to see how IFAD has assisted people there.
Elba said he was particularly concerned as to what the coronavirus pandemic could do in African countries already suffering economically. “We have to think about the forward planning. What’s what’s the fallout going to be?” he said.
The couple have been recovering in New Mexico, where the actor was filming when he became sick, but plan to return to London as soon as they can get a flight. Elba said he had to miss his 6-year-old son’s birthday because of the lockdown but he’s “hoping to see him as soon as I can.” “We’ve been fortunate,” he added. “We have been staying in a lovely place that’s been very comfortable for the time. But we’re looking forward to going home.” —Indian Express
