Luther actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba tested positive for the coronavirus back in March. Though they only had mild symptoms, Elba told Associated Press last week that their lives were “turned around” from such an experience that is “definitely scary and unsettling and nervous.”
Luckily, the two have recently reported a successful recovery process. In response to his own personal experience, the British actor feels life lessons must be learned, reminding the world from the AP report that “the world doesn’t tick on your time.” In response to the pandemic, Idris and Sabrina began a push with the United Nations to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on rural farmers and food producers, especially in countries that are already economically suffering.
Elba stated that people in rural and poor areas are more likely to suffer from the pandemic: “If you imagine being in a village where no one even knows the name of your village or your population, and that you live in a slum where there is one room and six of you live in it. Social distancing is almost laughable.” Therefore, as U.N. Goodwill Ambassadors, they have joined forces with the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development to launch the new $40 million fund.
Sabrina also commented on their situation: “People forget that 80 percent of the poor population live in these rural areas. What we are really worried about at the moment, and why we are launching this fund, is that those people are being forgotten. While health, you know, is so important at the moment … we don’t want people to forget about what comes after that.”
Elba was filming when he became sick, so the couple have been recovering in New Mexico. Elba addressed that they have “been fortunate” to stay “in a lovely place that’s been very comfortable for the time” while self-quarantining, but are “looking forward to going home.” They plan to return to London as soon as they can get a flight.
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