Not all heroes wear capes – some take on the role of an aid worker and help people affected by man-made and natural disasters like wars and outbreaks of disease with food, support, resources, and more. And that’s what Linda Steinbock has been doing for about 10 years now. The half-Swedish, half-Malay Singaporean has worked in disaster zones all over the world, and pours her energy into research on how children are affected by crises, including the coronavirus outbreak.
With her findings and way with words, her debut children’s book Lockdown Hair was born. As told through the eyes of young Siona, the light-hearted picture book reveals the innovative solutions she comes up with while trying to adjust to her “new normal” life during a pandemic. It makes a humorous yet sensitive way to introduce kids to the public health crisis, breaking the ice on much-need conversations at home and in school.
Not one to rest on her laurels, the author also goes above and beyond by offering virtual author visits for schools where she performs readings, holds discussions, and shares her work as a humanitarian aid worker. She even got married during the pandemic!
For a better understanding of what she does best, we chat with Linda on helping people affected by various crises, her study on the effects of the pandemic on children and families, and Lockdown Hair which is available from March 2.
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Hi Linda! First things first, what gets you excited about Singapore?
Our rich food culture is definitely something I love about Singapore.
But since living overseas, what gets me excited is walking through Changi airport, and seeing “Welcome Home” at the gates. Plus, the comforting sights of bougainvillea as you drive away from the airport and look back to the control tower in the rear mirror. It’s the warmest “welcome home”.
Oh yes, you moved to Switzerland. It must be hard being away from your family in Singapore, especially during the pandemic.
I kept in close contact with my family, but the hardest thing for us was the uncertainty of when we would get to see each other again. So when the opportunity came in Phase 2 for me to return home for my wedding, my main worry was still for my parents' health. I was grateful to have the facilities offered by the government to keep my family and others safe.
Congratulations on your marriage! Tell us, what is it like to have a wedding during a pandemic?
It was the weirdest but most memorable experience we won’t soon forget. We were the first people we knew to go ahead with a wedding during the pandemic. We had a small, intimate wedding in Singapore, which adhered to all the rules. And being part of a large Malay family made this task challenging, but ultimately everyone was understanding and supportive.
The change in plans was hard for us, our family and friends from overseas weren’t able to be there in person, but we decided to focus on what was possible rather than on what wasn’t. We made sure to celebrate our diverse cultures, and to create an inclusive experience for everyone who joined us online.
In fact, it went so well, many people asked how we managed to create such intimate moments even at distance. This inspired me to write about our wedding experience on my blog.
Besides the wedding, you also wrote Lockdown Hair which is launched on March 2. Tell us more about the book.
The inspiration for the book came from the research my organisation did on the effect of Covid-19 on children and families. Children shared with us how they missed loved ones, friends, and going to school, and that they were fearful of their parents going back to work in some cases.
During my 14-day hotel quarantine when returning to Singapore for my wedding, I decided that doing a simple seven-day course on how to write a children’s book would be a great way to spend that time. It turned into a full draft of Siona's story, a little girl experiencing the pandemic. The story is of three generations of women overcoming worries for welfare and sustenance. It’s Siona’s curiosity that encourages thoughts on how to adapt to the “new normal”.
Children shared with us how they missed loved ones, friends and going to school, and that they were fearful of their parents going back to work.
Did it come from any real-life experience with your very own lockdown hair?
Funnily enough, I don’t think it was just hair disasters I saw on TikTok and the hair of colleagues in online meetings that inspired the book. I pulled from emotions of missing my nieces and nephews, my late grandmother, whom I had a close relationship with, going to a salon with my mum and sister and remembering the encouragement and independence my father taught me. Many experiences from my life and my life’s work culminated into the creation of Lockdown Hair.
How can kids and families relate to the book?
The book addresses real-life worries about the pandemic in an approachable and humorous way. A friend of mine shared that she read the story with her five-year-old daughter, and it helped her address feelings of longing for her grandparents overseas. They did everything they could to keep things as normal for her as possible but what they realised was that she noticed a lot more than they thought. So, once her mother explained the ideas in the book she eagerly requested to read it again to talk about Siona’s feelings and creative ideas to keep safe.
Besides being a children’s author, you are also a humanitarian aid worker. Tell us more about it.
I started my career 10 years ago as a Project Officer in Save the Children’s Humanitarian team in Melbourne. It was a great way to start my exploration of different ways to support people affected by various crises. I was trained in how to respond to emergencies and travelled to crises around the world. I deployed to Lebanon and Iraq to support Syrian refugees, the Philippines for Typhoon Haiyan, Nepal, and Indonesia for their earthquake responses, and the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh.
Working for the world’s largest child-focused organisation gives me the opportunity to work for and listen to children about their worries, needs, and hopes for the future.
What are some challenges you faced as a humanitarian aid worker?
The biggest challenge is managing your emotions. In the early phase of my career when I heard traumatic stories, I held my emotions tight and locked them in the softest parts of my heart. But, by the time I sat on the plane at the end of my deployment, I let tears flow and prepared for the embrace of family on the other side. This worked for a while until my deployment to Cox’s Bazar.
The Rohingya Refugee Crisis made the most significant mark on my life. The work pressure, responsibility and long hours were challenging enough. But I chose to lead my team with vulnerability and engage with children wholeheartedly. I heard their stories of survival and was compelled to amplify their voices.
When the pandemic took hold of the world, I recognised my need and others' desire for safety, security, and hope for a bright future. I believe that in talking about hard things in an approachable way, Lockdown Hair will hopefully create an opportunity for children and their parents to explore their emotional response to a crisis.
Working for the world’s largest child-focused organisation gives me the opportunity to work for and listen to children about their worries, needs, and hopes for the future.
Your work also involved research into how children are affected by crises, including the current pandemic. Did you use some of the findings for your book?
My organisation commissioned a study on the effects of Covid-19 on children and families. Some of the main findings show that most children who were in school are now at risk of not returning, and children’s mental health is deeply affected by reduced social contact with friends and family outside of the nuclear family.
The experiences of children worldwide are diverse and complex, with the potential for long-lasting negative effects. However, there is also evidence of children showing incredible resilience, awareness of the situation, and deep care for their families. I chose to incorporate some of these findings in the storyline of Lockdown Hair.
What are some ways we can do to help children, especially those in need?
Stay informed about various crises in the world and take that extra step to find local organisations that support children affected by crises. These children may be out of sight but this year has taught us that crisis can affect any of our children at any time, so it’s important to come together and lift each other.
Lockdown Hair is available to purchase on touchingdistance.com. While you're at it, sign up for Linda’s newsletter for fun activities to do at home – educators can also sign up for classroom resources.
