UK Poverty Post » Constance http://www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:00:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 en hourly 1 The personal story of an asylum seeker working hard to prove the public wrong http://www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/2009/06/the-personal-story-of-an-asylum-seeker-working-hard-to-prove-the-public-wrong/ http://www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/2009/06/the-personal-story-of-an-asylum-seeker-working-hard-to-prove-the-public-wrong/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:00 +0000 Constance http://www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/2009/06/the-personal-story-of-an-asylum-seeker-working-hard-to-prove-the-public-wrong/ Hello, my name’s Constance and I’m an asylum seeker from Cameroon who has been living in Cardiff, South Wales, for the past four years. When I first arrived in the UK in 2005 life was extraordinarily strange. I didn’t know anybody, didn’t have anything to do and I wasn’t allowed to work. It was like being mentally tortured. For these reasons I wanted to contribute to my local community, so I decided to concentrate my efforts on doing some voluntary activities with Refugee Voice Wales and the Black Association of Women Step Out, as well as interpreting and translating up and down Wales.

Those activities were the key to more doors opening and opportunities arising which allowed me to become more involved in my community. From these beginnings as a volunteer I’m now a trustee of two organisations. I am also currently attending a human rights advocacy course for asylum seekers and refugee women organised and funded by Oxfam and led by Harris Nyatsanza.

It’s a great opportunity for me to learn new skills and to help women empower themselves, to make their voices heard, to acquire skills to advocate and lobby on issues that female refugees and asylum seekers face in their daily lives and, above all, to learn some skills so that I can get involved in the decision making process.

Having gained so much, I hope to give my utmost to help other women in the same situation as me to stand up for themselves, to own their own destiny by being involved in the decision making process, to work towards integration and to give their time to their local community through different voluntary activities.

There is a perception in the UK that refugees come to this country to enjoy the benefits and give nothing back to the local community. Volunteering can help change that perception. I only wish that I was given the right to work and to further prove those critics wrong.

On this special week, a week where we celebrate refugees, I do appreciate immensely what different charities, organisations and individuals are doing to raise awareness of the issues that refugees are facing, the contribution they are making(culturally,economically and socially) in the UK. But, despite this great event, one week will never be enough to change the public’s mind about refugees. Instead we need to work every week.

When I look back I don’t know where I would have been and what I would have become without the support, friendship and love of the people of Wales. My little family and me will forever be grateful, so thank you for everything.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Oxfam GB.

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