A Time for Community and Compassion

By Monica Allaby, Posted on March 18, 2020

Our team has received some thoughtful notes of solidarity from colleagues and partners around the world these last few days, and it’s really heartened us. We wanted to share some of our own thoughts in hopes they might help you all get through these stressful times.

Like many of you, we are trying to process the outbreak of COVID-19 and what it means for our communities and our loved ones. The situation changes every day, but we know that it is already affecting everyone—at home, at work, and in our communities.

Here at Community Forests International, we are social distancing and encouraging each other to practice safe coping strategies: taking regular breaks to clear thoughts; getting fresh air; setting realistic expectations; and taking time to support both physical and mental health.

It’s hard to say what the impact will be on our work; we expect that there will be interruptions, but we are fortunate that our workplace is relatively resilient compared to others. Our attention is now on helping our colleagues in Tanzania stay safe and adapt to this new reality.

Nurture community and compassion, do what you can to look out for those who are especially vulnerable in these uncertain times, and take good care of yourselves. We are thinking of you all and we wish you well!