Staying on during coronavirus lockdown

My main reason to stay in Beannachar as an international volunteer was, that I knew my help is still required. In fact probably more than before.

The institution (Camphill Beannachar) didn’t consider a closure at any point because it is a home for the students, therefore coworkers are still essential in keeping the living situation which the students need.  If more coworker would have decided to return home, everyone else left in Beannachar would have suffered.

I didn’t want to be responsible for that because over the time the people I work and live with became pretty important to me. That’s why I would have felt guilty if I would have put even more weight on their shoulders in such a tough time we are experiencing at the moment.

Feeling needed and structure are helpful

I thought that it’s also helpful for me to have a reason to get out of bed everyday (the work/students) and to feel needed while most of the people can’t continue working right now.

It’s good to have a certain structure in your life and through staying in Beannachar I was able to maintain this structure. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t restrictions which are hard to cope with and situations in which I’m struggling, so it is definitely a hard time after all.

Personal growth through the madness

I’m not the only one who feels lost sometimes in all this madness which is why it would have been the worst moment to just think about myself and leave the others in Beannachar behind especially because now they need every available helping hand they can get.

I’m glad I made this decision because life here gives me a lot. Whether it’s the students who make me laugh, my house parents who make me feel appreciated or spending time with friends. I simply would have thrown away all those valuable experiences and chances to grow as a person if I would have left earlier.

Written by Lotte, an international co-worker at Beannachar