In our Stories of Sanctuary, we share stories from those seeking asylum in our Borough of Sanctuary and the community supporting them. 

In this edition, MK uses his own words to share his story of arriving in Waltham Forest.  

MK met the council’s Single Point of Contact Advice Service for Migrants team soon after he arrived in Waltham Forest. The SPOC team supported MK with accessing college courses and finding employment.

Arriving in Waltham Forest 

“I have been in Waltham Forest since July 2022. I was driven from the airport to a hotel in Waltham Forest, where I lived with refugees from many different backgrounds who were all seeking asylum like me. I felt a lot of solidarity in the hotels with fellow residents and this helped me cope with the daily frustration and fear that was building up inside me. 

“All I had with me was my bag, as you can see in the photo. There I had clothes, toiletries, painkillers and peace fruits because at that time it was not easy. I had traditional clothes from my country that I wear for meetings and the dried fruits of peace that my late grandmother gave me long before the tragic incident. My grandmother used to tell me that “Whatever the difficulties in life, chew them and the sweet taste of this fruit should be the same as the taste in your daily life”. That was all I had in my bag.  

“When I first arrived, I had a lot of frustration. I was shocked to see the difference between my country and here in England. I noticed how accessible everything was, how the public transport system worked, and people were exercising and playing games in the park. I was also surprised how friendly and welcoming people were when they greeted me. 

“I spent a lot of time thinking, why me? Why am I here? I asked myself why I should be here when I have children and a wife back home. I could see the difference between life here and back home. Here there is safety and protection, as well as education, and that’s what I want for my children and wife too.   

“People in this part of London are very friendly. People try and make you feel welcome. They respect everybody. I feel safer in Waltham Forest than in other parts of London. It took me about a year to feel secure here and to meet people and make friends. I think the Waltham Forest community is very good. People here are very present for any kind of situation. I respect that.” 

Settling in 

“At Waltham Forest College I’m doing ESOL Level 1. The College gave me peace of mind when I started going. The College has rules and policies which I can follow. Here I feel like I never have problems. Like when I was feeling a bit disappointed with something at the College, I was able to speak to the course leader and they were able to make time and help me. It is good to feel supported there. It’s a good College. 

“I had pains when I arrived. I wanted painkillers every hour. I had head pains. I needed to do something but I wasn’t allowed to work. I asked if there was anything I could do and was told about some volunteering I could do at Leyton Jubilee Park. There were jobs we could do there - like we needed to remove a roof. I was sweating and working hard and feeling like some power was coming back to me doing that volunteer work. I was passionate to do it as it helped me to release stress and anxiety and reminded me of working on the farm my grandparents used to have back home. 

“Around that time the GP said he would refer to me a programme. I didn’t know what it was for. I found out it was for mental health support. The assessment was in English, but I didn’t understand English back then. Later they assessed me with French, and I was able to follow the programme. I went out and spoke to people. They helped me to regulate my thoughts and pain and I felt a bit more confidence.”

Football 

“I used to get confidence from playing football back home. When you play football, if you are playing against people who are better than you, you can improve. When I’m told ‘you have to pass the ball more’ you learn to play in a less selfish way. If you’re selfish the other team can take advantage of you. Some people don’t like feedback on their playing, but I like to improve my skills. I want to be better. And if people get annoyed when we play, I don’t care, I’m just playing football to keep fit. 

“Because of the injury I have on my foot I can’t play. If I’m not a professional footballer, I would like to be a coach or referee. Football gives me peace of mind and people can use football to release stress. I asked to arrange a session to help out. I got good energy from that.  

“Following on from this I was supported by a council worker to a project that supports refugees with learning English through football. As a Board Member at I Speak Football, I am now able to use my knowledge and skills in football - and my experience in learning English - to design sessions that will support refugees who are on a similar journey to me when I first arrived.” 

Missing family 

“At the moment, I’m facing some difficulty from my physical situation. Sometimes I feel down about what I have to do and not knowing how to do it. I hope to reunite with my children, but I don’t know how. 

“When I see what’s going on back home in my country in the run up to the election, it makes me think and worry a lot. I need to think less about it because I worry about my family. I’m worried that one day I will be told that my kid is dead. 

“It’s hard to be fixed on back home. I want to be more focused on being present here. That is how I will improve my English too. I would like to settle into a home where I can feel secure.” 

How I helped myself 

“The thing that helped me was to be active and doing things. Even when you’re not sure what the Home Office will do, you have to be active. It’s best not to reject things and blame other people. I had to try and find ways to motivate myself and keep active. For me, I had to go to volunteer and work in Leyton Jubilee Park. That helped me. Talking and getting advice helps too. Trying not to be too shy. We all need to keep trying. 

“With all aspects of the support I have received from Waltham Forest, I would say this place is doing well. There is good planning to manage people. I don’t know about other places, but here the standard and the quality was excellent. When I tried to say something difficult, people would not be upset and tell me I wasn’t allowed to say that, they would help me to understand a better way to communicate with respect. It helped me.”

Links

The SPOC service supports refugees and migrants with accessing education, employment and training opportunities. They have provided drop-in services at contingency hotels, hostels and libraries within the borough. 

• Contact the council's Single Point of Contact Advice Service for Migrants:  
  • Ben Monro, ben.monro@walthamforest.gov.uk, 07799 341 712. 
  • Silvia Garrido-Kemp, silvia.garridokemp@walthamforest.gov.uk, 07770 054 167.

What is a Borough of Sanctuary?

In Waltham Forest we value and celebrate the migrants, refugees and people seeking sanctuary who have settled in Waltham Forest and are proud to be a Borough of Sanctuary.

In December 2023 we launched our Borough of Sanctuary Framework and were officially recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary through the national charity City of Sanctuary.