My name is Tatyana Voorkamp-Garner. I was born in Invercargill’s Dee St Maternity Hospital. I went to South School then we moved to Bluff and I went to Konini School, then on to Kingswell.

Errol, my now husband, and I were originally penpals. We met in 1982 and we lost contact. We met up again all these years later. He proposed to me in 2012 and I came here to Barbabos in 2013.

I went back to New Zealand to pack up and returned here in 2014 and have been here since then.

We are on a 24-hour lockdown until May the 4th at this stage. We haven't had any more cases in the last two days. But 75 people have been tested positive and five deaths. The country is very quiet and everyone is starting to get on edge.

There isn't really a welfare system like in New Zealand so the government is giving the poorest 600.00 a month to live on which is about $425 NZD. Those that have been sent home have no money and have to wait on the National Insurance Scheme. Each week they deduct a percent from wages, but unfortunately some bosses don't send the money in and then these poor workers miss out.

The government has started letting people go to the supermarket on the day the letter of their last name comes up. Mine is Garner so shopping on a Monday and banking Thursdays. If you are stopped on the days your name doesn't come up and you do not have a pass to go to work, you will either be fined or jailed

We aren't even meant to leave our yards , but some have decided to go walking around the neighborhood and run on the pasture near us.

I live in a poor area so see a lot that makes me want to cry. The neighbours share what they have – in other words it has become a barter system. Schooling is online and some people have several children and no computer so I don't think their children will be getting any schooling at the moment.

I am still working and so is my husband as we are classed as essential service workers. I work at Saicor, a huge Insurance company, but am contracted to take care of the place so they sent the other girl home, kept me, and sent all the night workers home. My husband works at Roberts, they make oil, margarine, and meal for chooks, horses and pig. But he is also an artist.

We are enjoying the peace as usually there is karaoke every night, and kids outside our place talking and stealing wifi until late at night.

We are all good. My husband has a good job and his niece is one of the Senators. It is our neighbours that make us cry. But in amongst our neighborhood are also very well-educated people who have lived here since childhood. It’s expensive living on a tropical island so some make the wise choice to pay nothing or 45.00 a week rather than 2,000 to 5,000 a month for a nicer house.

• If you're a Southlander living (or forced to return home) from living abroad, we'd love to hear your story. Please contact us at [email protected] Likewise, if you know a Southlander living abroad, please encourage them to get in touch with us to we can all learn more about how this coronavirus is changing life for Southlanders everywhere.