Refugee Voices - Hawa

Originally from Sudan, Hawa had been living in one of the Gulf countries since the age of 23 with her husband, who worked in the country. Although their lives were comfortable, it was underscored by a constant uncertainty regarding their status. Despite having lived in the Gulf country for many years, they were not granted citizenship and thus were under threat of spontaneous deportation back to Sudan. Her fears were compounded by the prospect that if she did return to Sudan, her daughters may be subject to female genital mutilation and forced early marriages, practices which are unfortunately still widespread in the country. This nightmare became a reality in December of 2022 when her husband was made redundant from his job, and, unable to return to war-torn Sudan, Hawa and her children fled to the UK, where they claimed asylum. Despite the traumatic circumstances, after arriving in England, she immediately felt a sense of belonging in her friendly community, and the knowledge that her life would not be unexpectedly uprooted was a great comfort to her. Although she still sorely misses her parents, the arrival of her husband a year ago has helped her to further settle in.
 
HWR regularly visits hotels housing asylum seekers, and it was on one of these visits, following advice by a friend, that Hawa first came into contact with the charity. They were vital in helping her through the early days of her arrival, translating key documents and informing her of meetings or interviews that she was required to attend. Hawa was eager to give back, and now she spends every Tuesday cooking for the local community in conjunction with the charity's work. She also helps many newly arrived refugees settle in and overcome the social and psychological challenges that she herself faced.
 
Hawa has five children ranging from ages 16 to 3. At the moment, her focus is on helping them work diligently and succeed in school. All of them love their schools here and the way that they learn, and this has been reflected in their outstanding achievements: Hawa's oldest daughter has completed several of her GCSEs, achieving a grade 9 in all of them. Once her youngest reaches the age where they can also begin to attend school, Hawa is determined to continue pursuing her education. She wishes to continue to develop her English and achieve an official certification before attending university to further study health and social care (having already graduated university in Sudan). Despite facing the challenges of both raising children and fleeing her country, Hawa has managed to persevere, and she is now focused on developing her own skills to help give back to her community.