“I have been a member of L'Arche from 2004 to 2007.  Our commitment as part of an international federation is to live and work with people with learning disabilities.  This community is predominantly Anglican but is ecumenical in that it welcomes people from all or no religious background. While each community has its struggles, the one thing that stays true is the practice of people with and without learning disabilities sharing their lives, their gifts, their limitations – all while sharing a home with one another.  My experience in L'Arche Lambeth has taught me a great deal about the human condition.  One profound experience that will stay with me forever is the death of a community member living in my house.  From the moments I spent with this person, I now realize more than ever the importance of quality of life, and the importance of finding one's purpose in life and fulfilling it.  I am now sure that my life would lack quality if it did not include a career in social care. In my house it is over suppers, Sunday lunches and birthday celebrations that we often connect.  When things get difficult I think of those moments when we're celebrating together, being in each other’s lives. I use these memories to move myself to a happier space in time.”

Geisha Osborne ‘04
December 2007