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Welcome to our global #FarFromHome series: reflections on covid-19 lockdown from people who are are far from their family and home-country. We hope this brings comfort and reassurance. We chat to Heather, from South Africa, who lives in the UK.

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What keeps you motivated during lock-down That this time is a gift – it is a time to pause and do the things you have not had time to do. It can be a time to reflect and heal.

Has anything brought you hope or inspiration at this time? I have been inspired by way that the planet is healing when there are no humans around, and the community spirit that this crisis has brought to the surface.

What other emotions has this period brought for you?  The lockdown has brought me fear – of staring death in the face. And the realisation that I have not prepared for death. I also fear the inability to help if family get sick. I don’t know if I would be able to get there or say goodbye.

What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? I know that I am strong. I know that I am brave and that I can survive.

What good qualities has lockdown brought out in you? During lockdown, I have learnt about my ability to be a good friend.

What characteristics of yourself have you relied on to get through lockdown? The ability to be alone and happy and my ability to adapt to new situations.

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Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? Yes, I’ve really been impressed with the way the community have rallied. For example, neighbours are giving each other free masks.

What would be your advice to those people facing loneliness at this time? If you are lonely right now, do something that will give you another perspective, something to lift you out of yourself.

Is there any other message you would like to send to other people who are living far from their original birthplace during this time? Social media and online chat spaces have brought us much closer than we may have been before Coronavirus in many instances. Tap into this phenomenon and make the most of this new age.

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Welcome to our global #FarFromHome series: reflections on covid-19 lockdown from people who are are far from their family and home-country. We hope this brings comfort and reassurance. We chat to Adam, from Syria, who lives in Scotland.

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What brings you inspiration at this time? In my opinion, I hope that God should always accompany us, so I always hope that everyone will be in excellent health and great psychological well-being.

What characteristics of yourself have you relied on to get through this tough time?
I have discipline built in myself, and discipline is best needed to achieve patience, steadfastness and replace negative energies with positive ones.

What keeps you motivated during lockdown? I keep busy with reading books and practicing sports as well as participating in groups to talk about topics aimed at spreading tips in society to benefit everyone.

What other emotions has this period brought for you? It is normal for some people to feel a sort of fear, myself included, and my fear led me to be more protective so that I can protect myself and people around me. But we cannot escape reality: life continues and the problem should be recognized first and not escaping from it.

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What in your life history has made you better able to deal with this situation? In times of crisis, I feel the challenge which makes me more powerful. Despite challenge, boredom and laziness in this period, by taking advantage of my time in doing useful and entertaining things, I will be able to cope.

Has this experience changed your interaction with your neighbours or community? This tough experience brought me closer to people by communicating with them through social media as the work pressures in non-crisis times did not grant me enough time to communicate.

What is your message to people who are living Far From Home during this time? My advice or message is the following: If we think a little and ask ourselves what the positive results of unity are, we will realize that our best bet is to get rid of the negativity in us by replacing it with other positive things. We must have hope and optimism at this time and stay strong to maintain our health. Life only continues with hope and love between us.

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Made possible with the participation from the Mental Health Foundation, who has specific resources on mental health during the covid-19 lockdown.

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Pierre, Jean and Eve,* from North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), once lived somewhat peacefully with their parents. Between 2012 and 2019, this family would be subject to unimaginable loss, conflict and separation. Their story brings us to Cape Town, South Africa, and the involvement of Scalabrini’s Advocacy team.

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Moving to a country that has 11 national languages and not being able to speak one of them is an unnerving experience. This was Steve’s experience when he moved to Cape Town for the first time. Not only could he not speak the languages, but he was unable to practice as a doctor any longer. Undaunted, Steve took the challenge as an opportunity and after lessons from Scalabrini English School he began teaching the beginners English classes – with dreams of creating his own medical research app bubbling to the foreground.

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