A poem by Blessing, winner of our Refugee Week poetry competition in Portsmouth.
Archive for the ‘Refugee voices’ Category
A Refugee Week Blessing
Sunday, June 20th, 2010Refugee Week is all about celebrating the contribution refugees make to the UK and honouring their personal stories of survival. Often the events organised to mark the week showcase individual talents and skills that are already well-known and much-lauded – like the performers on the main stage at London’s Celebrating Sanctuary for example.
But Refugee Week events can also uncover new voices and spotlight hidden gifts that may have hitherto been obscured by the shadows cast by the asylum process and the pain of the experiences that led people to flee.
Posted by Esme Peach
Sretan Put – Safe Journey
Monday, June 14th, 2010By Selma Seferovic
Sarajevo
I come from Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina. A year into the devastating war in my country, my mother brought my brother and I to the U.K. The ‘mothers and children only’ convoy separated my family. I was about to turn eight, a birthday I would celebrate in an alien place, but luckily we managed to escape unharmed, unlike the many others. (more…)
Posted by Chiara Gnoli
The generation of war
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010By Ahmad Masood Wahed
“The peak of Islam, the heart of Asia…”
“Forever free the land of Arians…”
… are lines from one of the hundreds of national anthems Afghans have sung throughout the centuries. This poor nation has saluted hundreds of colours and shapes of flags, and danced to thousands of various songs composed by the sound of the gun.
Posted by Chiara Gnoli
A journey in search of hope…
Thursday, February 25th, 2010By Ahmad Masood Wahed
Ahmad Masood Wahed
The sound of fire, the fear of being kidnapped, the unpaved streets, the naked structure of an empty class, the journey of an all-day work carrying the loads of masters on a pair of painful shoulders, the voice of innocent and hungry kids… is the sign of a new morning in Afghanistan. This is one of the thousands of typical journeys that have been passed by every single Afghan person during the last three decades.
During the decades of war and bloodshed, Afghanistan was abandoned and destroyed. People were not allowed and are still not allowed the freedom of expression. The control of the media by the government, the strict Islamic roles imposed by religious leaders, and the establishment of sharia law by the government and other incidents all led me to leave my homeland suddenly.
Posted by Sara Ayech
My experience as a lone parent on asylum support
Monday, February 15th, 2010
My name is Tapiwa. I am a single father of two daughters and we arrived in the UK in August 2003. I had no idea that I would be prohibited from working for the upkeep of my family. It seemed so strange I was told that I would be given money from the state every week, instead of being allowed to work.
After a few weeks of this money, it became clear to me that the amount of money I was receiving was calculated to allow me to simply stay alive while the Home secretary decided whether or not to grant us leave to remain. I called it “Breathing Money”. It was enough to keep us breathing and not much else. (more…)
Posted by Sara Ayech