From Today’s Daily Mass Readings:
Throughout Lent, we introduce you to some of the refugees accompanied by JRS UK. In difficult times where do we sense the Lord’s everlasting love?
Ufuoma’s Story
This week we will introduce you to Ufuoma, one of our refugee friends who attends our weekly Day Centre.
The difficult decision to flee forces someone to leave their home, their friends and their family. Once in the UK, it can be hard to rebuild any sense of a normal life, and destitute asylum seekers are reduced to dependency on others. Ufuoma was a nurse in her home country, but since her claim for asylum has been refused she finds herself stuck in a system where she is dependent on charity. “This really frustrated me. What brought me to this state of moving from centre to centre. One is reduced to nothing by going to people for help when you can actually be of help to people yourself. That was very traumatic for me; almost unbearable.”
Ufuoma struggles knowing that she has so much to offer, and a desire to contribute to society, yet she is forced to be completely reliant on others. “It was a difficult time even though I lived with my family. It is hard when an adult who was once earning money has to start relying on family support and getting things from here and there.”
#Do1Thing
Through our work we hope to change the public opinion of refugees and asylum seekers, battling the hostility they face at the hands of the Home Office, the government and much of society. Our work is dependent on your support, and on the stories of the refugees we accompany being shared.
Today, we invite you continue supporting and sharing our work by following us on facebook and twitter, and by signing up to receive our e-news.
Already signed up? Then invite someone else to follow us.
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JRS UK are grateful to Ufuoma for sharing her story with us. Please do not reproduce without permission.
