Community features

"I've been three years in Birmingham. It’s a beautiful city. It has everything I need, the safety is here, the peace is here, the community here is so diverse.  It's beautiful.  I came here as an asylum seekers and then a refugee.  Now I work with different Somali organisations on a voluntary basis.  Now I work with Somali Women’s Hope.  Women are lagging behind in every aspect of life. 

"We formed the Somali Women's Hope last year in order to cater for womens needs –  we help with social services, language barriers, we interpret for them, link them to health centres and solicitors.  People come from across the city to use our services.  We do dressmaking so people can open their own tailors.  We are looking for funders to help us continue because everything is voluntary at the moment.

"There more that can be done in some areas to welcome refugees.  Today is brilliant, this is a very welcoming city.  People are very kind.  You will always get some racial comments but you can see today people are comfortable and happy doing their own traditional dances.

"I was a teacher and a district education officer in Somalia.  I'd like to go back into education some day but new arrivals need me, the community needs me."

"I came to Birmingham because I was coming for safety.  My country had war and my dad was a politician so for safety I left.  Just my brother came with me.  I lost my mum about four years ago now and my dad and two sisters and one brother.  I live in care here.  Birmingham is nice and interesting.  I've just finished school and I’ll go to college next year.

"I’m very happy here I enjoy going to Bump (Befriending Unaccompanied Minors Project) – a group where you get to meet people from different countries. It’s a refugee thing organised by Save the Children.  I have made friends from Congo, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa and Pakistan.  I've made good friends in Birmingham.

"I get to tell people about my country and the things I used to do and they tell me about theirs which is interesting, it’s really good."

I left Togo because of the social and political problems.  Particularly the political problems. I left Togo in 1992 and came to UK with my wife and one child.  I enjoy being in Birmingham. 

"Any refugee will have problems when they are forced to leave their homes.  There is a culture change.  You meet many, many different faces.  Now it feels like home here, it feels like home.  We have a small Togo community here. 

"We speak French in my country and when I cam here I had to go to school to learn English. In Togo I was studying law.  I have had to leave that behind and here I work in a warehouse."

"I had problems with my government and the Islamic regime in Iran. It is awful to leave your country. I left alone. You never know when you are able to go back again and visit family and friends, your job – everything -  all of your memories of life is there – you have to leave everything. 

"Being in another country you don't have any right to choose your life – you have to flee your country and go where you will be safe. People tell you by their behaviour, by their looks ‘ you are not welcome in this country, we don't want you’

" I used to work as a nurse, and I became a matron and now I have to start again.  I got my refugee status just 2 weeks ago, but it took three and a half years.  The immigration system is really really awful.  I got status in 2002 then they took it away from me, and then I had to go to the court of appeal and I won.  I have full refugee status and indefinite leave to remain.

"I am a qualified person, I am a human being with all aspects of human beings needs.  I have feelings.  We are the same, maybe eye colour, skin, hair, or language is different but the feeling is the same.

"I had to learn about new cultural things when I came here. If I move to a new area in my country your neighbours they tell you all about your area, where the shops are, and tell you if you need any help they will help you. 

"I have been in my area for three years and some of my neighbours turn their face, I don't think they like me, and I can't understand why.  I am not a criminal, impolite or a drug dealer.  So why are some people like this?  I didn't choose my situation. This 'why?' is always in my mind, why can't we live together in peace? In the perfect world we can live together."