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Refugee Stories |
Meet Eman and Reker, making their home here
Herts Welcomes Refugees (HWR) helps asylum seekers in many ways. In this case study, we demonstrate how a family who has received Leave to Remain was helped to settle into their new flat.
Eman, Reker and their five year old son are Kurdish Iraqis who have been in the UK for 2 years and have moved recently from a hotel into their own flat. When they arrived Eman could speak a little English, but she has been attending ESOL classes in the hotel, run by HWR, and her English has got much better. She has now applied to attend a Further Education college to further improve her English starting this September.
On arrival in the UK, Eman reported that they had nothing, “we don’t have a phone, SIM card or clothing, and we haven't any money”. She added “Herts Welcomes Refugees even provided school supplies for my son and they gave us all things we needed.”
When they were offered their flat, it was immediately obvious that, bar a fridge and a cooker, the flat had virtually nothing. HWR helped the family to make a home by providing a range of goods including a wardrobe, drawers, chairs, shelves, a coffee table, a rug, towels and sheets and a hoover. For the kitchen they provided a kettle, pots, plates, cups and cutlery.
Eman says she now feels very happy. She says “we did not have the money to buy the things we needed to make a home but Joyce, our volunteer, helped us a lot. They are very kind people and I love them like a family! They did many things for us and they still continue to help us.”
Eman says she is very happy as her son likes the local school and as the new flat is near the hotel he won’t need to change schools.
Eman now plans to find voluntary work in a charity shop and her husband is now looking for work and both feel optimistic about their future with the help that HWR has provided, and continues to offer.
Herts Welcomes Refugees (HWR) helps asylum seekers in many ways. In this case study, we demonstrate how a family who has received Leave to Remain was helped to settle into their new flat.
Eman, Reker and their five year old son are Kurdish Iraqis who have been in the UK for 2 years and have moved recently from a hotel into their own flat. When they arrived Eman could speak a little English, but she has been attending ESOL classes in the hotel, run by HWR, and her English has got much better. She has now applied to attend a Further Education college to further improve her English starting this September.
On arrival in the UK, Eman reported that they had nothing, “we don’t have a phone, SIM card or clothing, and we haven't any money”. She added “Herts Welcomes Refugees even provided school supplies for my son and they gave us all things we needed.”
When they were offered their flat, it was immediately obvious that, bar a fridge and a cooker, the flat had virtually nothing. HWR helped the family to make a home by providing a range of goods including a wardrobe, drawers, chairs, shelves, a coffee table, a rug, towels and sheets and a hoover. For the kitchen they provided a kettle, pots, plates, cups and cutlery.
Eman says she now feels very happy. She says “we did not have the money to buy the things we needed to make a home but Joyce, our volunteer, helped us a lot. They are very kind people and I love them like a family! They did many things for us and they still continue to help us.”
Eman says she is very happy as her son likes the local school and as the new flat is near the hotel he won’t need to change schools.
Eman now plans to find voluntary work in a charity shop and her husband is now looking for work and both feel optimistic about their future with the help that HWR has provided, and continues to offer.
Meet Rina, beginning a new life in the UK
Rina and family
Herts Welcomes Refugees (HWR) helps asylum seekers in many different ways. This case study shows how the charity helped Rina and her family to settle as they begin their new life in the UK.
Rina fled Honduras with her husband and 3 children 2 years ago, and were given a room in a local hotel.
Rina could not speak much English when she first arrived, but she has been attending ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) classes twice a week for 18 months and her speaking and writing skills, supported by her teachers from HWR, have much improved.
Rina says she is very happy and grateful for the help from her volunteer supporters who, on several occasions, provided school clothes and shoes for her children, as well as providing support to enrol them. She says she was also helped with food vouchers and clothes for her family and given SIM cards. She says that she was provided with travel tickets to London so that the family could meet their lawyers. On one occasion a volunteer drove the family to London to meet the lawyer.
The family have just received their Leave to Remain papers and have now moved into their temporary accommodation.. Rina is very happy with the flat as it is near the children’s school. HWR helped the family to settle in by providing a number of household items, including a microwave, duvets, pillows, blow up mattresses, a clothes airer, an electric kettle and a vacuum cleaner. Alison, her volunteer, also helped by applying for a washing machine and beds from other charities.
Rina added that HWR also helped them to register for utilities, claim child benefit and cleared up their concerns regarding living in temporary accommodation.
Rina says she feels very blessed and grateful “because I have no family here in the UK, but the volunteers, Alison, John, Susan and her entire team have become my family and I love them very much,” adding “they bring help when I needed it. I had nothing and they bring help to me at every stage of the asylum process.”
Whilst Rina has a degree in marketing, she currently volunteers as cleaner in a local church once a week and helps with the refreshments after the church service. She is looking for work, wants to continue her English lessons and work at her daughters' school. Her husband, who is a qualified computer engineer, is also looking for work.
Herts Welcomes Refugees (HWR) helps asylum seekers in many different ways. This case study shows how the charity helped Rina and her family to settle as they begin their new life in the UK.
Rina fled Honduras with her husband and 3 children 2 years ago, and were given a room in a local hotel.
Rina could not speak much English when she first arrived, but she has been attending ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) classes twice a week for 18 months and her speaking and writing skills, supported by her teachers from HWR, have much improved.
Rina says she is very happy and grateful for the help from her volunteer supporters who, on several occasions, provided school clothes and shoes for her children, as well as providing support to enrol them. She says she was also helped with food vouchers and clothes for her family and given SIM cards. She says that she was provided with travel tickets to London so that the family could meet their lawyers. On one occasion a volunteer drove the family to London to meet the lawyer.
The family have just received their Leave to Remain papers and have now moved into their temporary accommodation.. Rina is very happy with the flat as it is near the children’s school. HWR helped the family to settle in by providing a number of household items, including a microwave, duvets, pillows, blow up mattresses, a clothes airer, an electric kettle and a vacuum cleaner. Alison, her volunteer, also helped by applying for a washing machine and beds from other charities.
Rina added that HWR also helped them to register for utilities, claim child benefit and cleared up their concerns regarding living in temporary accommodation.
Rina says she feels very blessed and grateful “because I have no family here in the UK, but the volunteers, Alison, John, Susan and her entire team have become my family and I love them very much,” adding “they bring help when I needed it. I had nothing and they bring help to me at every stage of the asylum process.”
Whilst Rina has a degree in marketing, she currently volunteers as cleaner in a local church once a week and helps with the refreshments after the church service. She is looking for work, wants to continue her English lessons and work at her daughters' school. Her husband, who is a qualified computer engineer, is also looking for work.
Meet Helena, charity shop volunteer
charity shop clothes rail
Helena (not her real name) has been living in a hotel in Hertfordshire for about seven months, following some time in a hotel in Cheltenham.
Helena, who is from Namibia speaks very good English, as this is the main language in the country. She tells us that the volunteers in the hotel have been very supportive of her and provided her with clothes and a Sim card for her phone.
However Helena was feeling very lonely, as she had no family or friends and she reported she felt frustrated as she had nothing to do all week.
Volunteers from Herts Welcomes Volunteers identified a volunteering opportunity for Helena at the local Hospice shop and helped Helena to complete the application form. Helena is now working as a volunteer at the Hospice Shop every Friday and is really enjoying the experience.
She works with the clothes by sorting and ironing them, pricing the goods and then hanging the goods. She says she really enjoys this weekly experience and loves to get out of the hotel and meet other people. She likes it when people ask how she is and she reports feeling better having this opportunity.
She says volunteers Caroline and Joyce have been a great help and are good listeners who help with any problems.
Helena has applied for her working permit which has now been approved. Well done Helena! We are sure that volunteering opportunity will be a great help in finding paid work.
Meet Imtiaz from Afghanistan
Imtiaz
Imtiaz is from Afghanistan but had to leave his country after the evacuation of Kabul. He has a Degree in Business Studies and Management from Middlesex University and a Masters Degree from the International Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.
At our recent AGM, Imtiaz spoke about the work of the Afghan British Council (ABC) of which he is CEO. The achievements of the ABC are empowering refugees through education, employment, and integration initiatives, and facilitating cultural exchange and community cohesion through diverse programs and events
He is also Director of Capacity for the Afghanistan (C4A) Think Tank, an Academic Think Tank whose core members have postgraduate and doctoral qualifications from Universities around the world. C4A runs events and seminars, where key issues regarding current affairs, politics, advocacy and policy research are discussed, relating predominately to issues concerning Afghanistan.
Imtiaz tells us he has nearly 18 years of experience in the public and private sectors, working in many continents. He has worked in the UAE and in the United States Department of Defence as an Accredited Advisor from 2011-2012.
He worked in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance as head of Non-Tax Revenue from 2010-2011, joining the Ministry of Finance as an Aid Coordination Specialist from 2012-2013, where later he became Head of Value Added Tax and also Acting Sub-Director of client services within the Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministry of Finance
Imtiaz is also a lecturer at Khana-e-Noor University Kabul campus, where he lectures remotely in business studies, through early morning and late evening sessions.
Imtiaz is also a coach at the United Nations Institute of Training and Research, where he has given many lectures to the UNITAR Afghanistan Fellowship Programme, where the focus is on long – term leadership, organisational management and capacity building. He has been awarded a United Nations Sustainable Development Champion Award.
We are very grateful that Imitiaz is on the Herts Welcomes Refugees Advisory Board, and value his contributions to the work of the group. You can see him here speaking at the AGM.
Imtiaz is from Afghanistan but had to leave his country after the evacuation of Kabul. He has a Degree in Business Studies and Management from Middlesex University and a Masters Degree from the International Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.
At our recent AGM, Imtiaz spoke about the work of the Afghan British Council (ABC) of which he is CEO. The achievements of the ABC are empowering refugees through education, employment, and integration initiatives, and facilitating cultural exchange and community cohesion through diverse programs and events
He is also Director of Capacity for the Afghanistan (C4A) Think Tank, an Academic Think Tank whose core members have postgraduate and doctoral qualifications from Universities around the world. C4A runs events and seminars, where key issues regarding current affairs, politics, advocacy and policy research are discussed, relating predominately to issues concerning Afghanistan.
Imtiaz tells us he has nearly 18 years of experience in the public and private sectors, working in many continents. He has worked in the UAE and in the United States Department of Defence as an Accredited Advisor from 2011-2012.
He worked in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance as head of Non-Tax Revenue from 2010-2011, joining the Ministry of Finance as an Aid Coordination Specialist from 2012-2013, where later he became Head of Value Added Tax and also Acting Sub-Director of client services within the Afghanistan Revenue Department, Ministry of Finance
Imtiaz is also a lecturer at Khana-e-Noor University Kabul campus, where he lectures remotely in business studies, through early morning and late evening sessions.
Imtiaz is also a coach at the United Nations Institute of Training and Research, where he has given many lectures to the UNITAR Afghanistan Fellowship Programme, where the focus is on long – term leadership, organisational management and capacity building. He has been awarded a United Nations Sustainable Development Champion Award.
We are very grateful that Imitiaz is on the Herts Welcomes Refugees Advisory Board, and value his contributions to the work of the group. You can see him here speaking at the AGM.
Meet Ali - working in film
Ali at work collage
We are pleased to have supported Ali, a refugee from Afghanistan. We caught up with Ali when he posted these great photos documenting his work as a sound recordist on a new production. Here he tells us a bit more about his professional life:
“My name is Ali Ibrahimi, and I am from Afghanistan. I came to the UK in August 2021 when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. While I was in Afghanistan, I worked with various TV organizations, international companies, and the film industry, including Nutrition Education International (NEI), Tamadon TV, Rumi Consultancy, and IDLG (Independent Directorate of Local Governance) in the TV and media platforms.
Throughout my experiences, I had the opportunity to collaborate and work with both national and international TV networks and organizations as a director, videographer, photographer, and editor.
Currently, I am in the UK, embarking on a new chapter of my life, while still pursuing my dreams of working with an exceptional team in the film industry, leveraging my previous experiences.
In March 2024, after two and a half years, I had the opportunity to work as a sound recordist for a new production. It was a delightful experience to be part of this team.
Although the filming spanned only two days, I thoroughly enjoyed working with them. During this time, I had the chance to share my ideas and learn from every team member.”
We are so pleased that Ali was able to secure this work and wish him all the best for future work that uses his experience in the film industry.
Meet Sahar - refugee helping others
Welcome meal
Sahar and her husband arrived in England four years ago with their three children and speaking no English. After meeting her volunteer from Herts Welcomes Refugees she was supported in all aspects of life.
Sahar says, “My volunteer Veronica, is an amazing women and she is gorgeous and helpful. I love her.”
Sahar says that Veronica helped her with shopping, the doctor, schools, learning about the culture in the UK and learning to drive. She attended college to learn English four days a week for two years and her HWR volunteer helped once a week with English and with her other needs. The children were also helped by HWR with school uniforms and their English.
Now, because of the help Sahar herself received from HWR, she welcomes and assists new refugee families when they arrive. She tells us ‘Sometimes we hold meetings with women in the area. And these meetings are either at home or in the garden, to discuss anything new, problems or obstacles. And we do welcome parties for the new refugees, with the help of Veronica and the volunteers.’
Veronica from HWR says ‘Sahar galvanises the local families to support new arrivals who are often shell shocked when they arrive. Sahar helps these families to feel supported. Not only is she able to help with practical matters, such as where to buy the appropriate food and sorting out SIM cards, but more importantly she can give emotional support and the reassurance that this period of shock and adjustment will pass, which HWR volunteers cannot give in the same way.’
Sahar is very modest and tells us “I am not a community leader; we are all sisters”.
We love this example of refugees helping new arrivals. Thank you Sahar!
Meet Amira, now a confident English speaker
Amira avatar
Amira, along with her husband and two children, arrived in England seven years ago from Syria speaking only Arabic. She says she could not even say her name. Today, Amira is a confident English speaker, who now has four children and has learnt to drive. All her children attend school and Amira herself is looking for work.
Amira was supported by Herts Welcomes Refugees by three volunteers. As Amira had very young children she could not attend the local college to learn English, and so Judy, a specialist ESOL tutor, met Amira once a week to help her learn English. Two other volunteers - Sobia and Nayla - came for two hours every week to help her with English conversation, and to help her understand the culture and to offer support with everyday things, such as health appointments, letters from the children’s schools and bills. and so the volunteers came to her home to help her.
Amira also talks of the help Sobia and Nayla provided during her pregnancies and labour, and describes them as “angels as I found everything so hard.” They helped Amira with her health appointments and during labour by staying and supporting her, giving her massages and support throughout.
Amira says that she could not have managed without the help of her volunteers. She said “It’s really hard when you cannot speak the language and you have no family around you to help.” She added, “The volunteers became like my family and helped me”.
Judy, the ESOL volunteer said, “Amira has been an amazing student, from having no English at all, she has worked very hard and now is a confident English speaker.”
Amira started college in September 2022, but has recently left to find work.
Meet Simin: mother, student, volunteer
Simin
Simin is a refugee partner from Afghanistan who is now at college and has been volunteering with local asylum seekers.
She writes:
“I'm Simin Shafaq and I'm 28 years old. I have lived in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. In August 2021 my husband, I and our two little boys were evacuated to England (My Dream Land).
My family is an open-minded family and all the girls in our family were very active and educated. I love and feel proud of my family 🥰. I worked with many organisations and got my bachelor’s degree in Kabul.
From the day I arrived in the Refugee Hotel in England I started volunteering there. I was helping plan ladies’ activities, English classes, helping with the children and translating. It feels amazing when you found yourself very helpful to the people around you.
I love to help people as much as I can. Their smile and happiness makes me feel proud and do even more. I love communicating in any community where I live because we are part of that society and sometimes my small act can bring a nice smile.
When I came to the UK the first months were the hardest l of my life. I left everything, especially my loved ones but hoping to be together one day in a peaceful place. We had tough days but fortunately we survived all those days and now we are here, safe and happy.”
Simin is a refugee partner from Afghanistan who is now at college and has been volunteering with local asylum seekers.
She writes:
“I'm Simin Shafaq and I'm 28 years old. I have lived in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. In August 2021 my husband, I and our two little boys were evacuated to England (My Dream Land).
My family is an open-minded family and all the girls in our family were very active and educated. I love and feel proud of my family 🥰. I worked with many organisations and got my bachelor’s degree in Kabul.
From the day I arrived in the Refugee Hotel in England I started volunteering there. I was helping plan ladies’ activities, English classes, helping with the children and translating. It feels amazing when you found yourself very helpful to the people around you.
I love to help people as much as I can. Their smile and happiness makes me feel proud and do even more. I love communicating in any community where I live because we are part of that society and sometimes my small act can bring a nice smile.
When I came to the UK the first months were the hardest l of my life. I left everything, especially my loved ones but hoping to be together one day in a peaceful place. We had tough days but fortunately we survived all those days and now we are here, safe and happy.”
Meet Ghazal: Artist, teacher, asylum seeker
Ghazal
Ghazal was born in Tehran to an artistic family. Her childhood passion for painting led her to become a graphic designer and illustrator. For years she taught art classes, designed children’s books and sold her magnificent paintings.
Three years ago, Ghazal fled Iran. After she converted to Christianity, her life was in danger. Having left her family and the life she’d built, Ghazal found relief from the stress of immigration by focusing on painting and colour.
Over her three years in exile, Ghazal taught painting and drawing to refugee children. She believes that art can colour the darkness for children and adults who are struggling with immigration.
Ghazal has now been in the UK for three months, waiting for a decision on her asylum claim. She dreams that someday she’ll organise an exhibition and sell her work again.
We’ve been helping Ghazal access supplies so that she can continue making art, and she was excited for us to share some of her beautiful works with supporters of Herts Welcomes Refugees.
Meet Hazem, Aerospace Engineering Student
Hazem
Hazem arrived in Hertfordshire from Damascus, Syria in 2016.
Although he spoke Turkish and Arabic, Hazem couldn’t speak English and found basic communication challenging. So he tried to memorise every English word and then translate it.
After studying English as a second language, Hazem took an apprenticeship in engineering at Oaklands College. He was recently awarded a scholarship to study Aerospace Engineering at Brunel University.
When Hazem needed a laptop that could run 3D Design Software for his course, Herts Welcomes Refugees helped him to get one.
We caught up with Hazem while he was on Brunel’s campus for his induction day. He shared his intention of finishing with a first class degree and of one day becoming a pilot.
Hazem admitted he was a little nervous about university. “On this couse, it’s quite intense,” he explained. “It’s very maths based. I’m going to need a lot of support, so the university will help me with this.”
His advice to other young refugees: “Ask people to help. People in this organisation [Herts Welcomes Refugees], they love to help you.”
Meet Mariam, Biomedical Sciences Student
Mariam memoji
Mariam was thirteen years old when she left Syria with her family. When they first arrived in Hertfordshire, the family felt very isolated. None of them spoke English and they were overwhelmed. “We didn’t know how to use the bus. We didn’t know how to go to town or the shops to get what we needed,” Mariam recalled.
Additionally, Mariam’s older brother had heart problems. “It’s one of the main reasons why we came to the UK, because my brother needed an operation,” she said.
Mariam learned English by speaking with older people and attending school. She worked really hard to listen and communicate with people. When she needed help with her GCSEs, Herts Welcomes Refugees helped her to get a tutor. “When we needed help,” Mariam said. “Herts Welcomes Refugees was there.”
Today Mariam is studying Biomedical Sciences at Westminster University. She hopes to become a cardiologist or a surgeon because of her older brother’s heart problem. “I’ve been with him through his treatment and surgery so I know quite a lot about the heart and it really interests me,” she said.
Mariam hopes to pass her driving test in January. With the support of Herts Welcomes Refugees, she recently earned a qualification as an interpreter so she can work remotely while attending university.
“The first year [in the UK] was so hard in so many ways,” Mariam said. “But you have to be patient and work hard. If I didn’t work hard, I wouldn’t be at university right now.”
Mariam was thirteen years old when she left Syria with her family. When they first arrived in Hertfordshire, the family felt very isolated. None of them spoke English and they were overwhelmed. “We didn’t know how to use the bus. We didn’t know how to go to town or the shops to get what we needed,” Mariam recalled.
Additionally, Mariam’s older brother had heart problems. “It’s one of the main reasons why we came to the UK, because my brother needed an operation,” she said.
Mariam learned English by speaking with older people and attending school. She worked really hard to listen and communicate with people. When she needed help with her GCSEs, Herts Welcomes Refugees helped her to get a tutor. “When we needed help,” Mariam said. “Herts Welcomes Refugees was there.”
Today Mariam is studying Biomedical Sciences at Westminster University. She hopes to become a cardiologist or a surgeon because of her older brother’s heart problem. “I’ve been with him through his treatment and surgery so I know quite a lot about the heart and it really interests me,” she said.
Mariam hopes to pass her driving test in January. With the support of Herts Welcomes Refugees, she recently earned a qualification as an interpreter so she can work remotely while attending university.
“The first year [in the UK] was so hard in so many ways,” Mariam said. “But you have to be patient and work hard. If I didn’t work hard, I wouldn’t be at university right now.”