Refugee Week is about celebrating the contributions and talents of refugees so today I wanted to share short stories about people I’ve met who have inspired me (all names have been changed)…
*Nour, who lost her children, husband and legs in a bomb in Syria and now writes poetry and songs about peace and hope
*Mehmet, who has been taking lessons from RefuNet for over a year and offered to donate to RefuNet monthly when he received his refugee status
*Hiba, who is a single mum with eight children, and tries so hard to make sure all her children get a good education, sharing her phone between them all so they can take lessons in turn
*Mohammed, who spent over a year living in the Calais Jungle, where he was beaten and almost killed, yet still returned to spend three months volunteering to help those who still live there
*Abbas, who speaks 7 languages and runs a half marathon every morning and evening, while working
*Ahmed, who tried to give me his coat and wear just a t-shirt, despite me already having one, when our vehicle broke down on the motorway in the middle of the night after a distribution in Brussels
*Hassan, who notices the beauty all around him and is always grateful, despite the challenges he has faced and is facing
I am always inspired by the resilience and kindness of refugees I have met and feel lucky that they are part of our society.
For more information about Refugee Week, see https://refugeeweek.org.uk/