I was seven years old when I landed at London Heathrow Airport as a refugee. I was accompanied by my mother, sister and cousin. The year was 1995. I have vivid memories of the flight and the aftermath. My mother recalls the sympathy and kindness with which we were treated. We were taken into a small room by an immigration official who gave us tea and rich tea biscuits. I remember being tired because we landed just before midnight on a Saturday night. I also recall being excited because I was being reunited with my older siblings, who had moved to London the year before. My mother tells me that I was not scared nor aware of what to expect. All she was seeking was security and the opportunity for her children to have a normal childhood with education
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Our neighbours and the people we interacted with knew that we were refugees. My family’s memories of that period are kindness and acceptance from the locals. We were invited to birthday parties, trick or treating and my primary school teachers, in particular, ensured that my family would be given the best of welcomes into British life. One person’s kindness stands out. Mrs Smith lived in our neighbourhood and worked in the school. She used to invite us to her house where we would play in her garden. She also helped my mother with her family reunion application. It is people like her that no one hears about. Only refugees know …show more content…
There are two events that for me will always define my experience in my adopted country. The first happened when I was in year two. I was seven years old, could not speak English and was already four years behind my peers academically. To support me and to bring me up to speed, my school, Livingstone Primary School, arranged extra help for me. Every day, I would be taken out of regular classes for an hour to be given extra lessons in English and Maths. This continued for a year and I went from being the shy refugee child to a confident popular pupil who was the star of the school football
Our neighbours and the people we interacted with knew that we were refugees. My family’s memories of that period are kindness and acceptance from the locals. We were invited to birthday parties, trick or treating and my primary school teachers, in particular, ensured that my family would be given the best of welcomes into British life. One person’s kindness stands out. Mrs Smith lived in our neighbourhood and worked in the school. She used to invite us to her house where we would play in her garden. She also helped my mother with her family reunion application. It is people like her that no one hears about. Only refugees know …show more content…
There are two events that for me will always define my experience in my adopted country. The first happened when I was in year two. I was seven years old, could not speak English and was already four years behind my peers academically. To support me and to bring me up to speed, my school, Livingstone Primary School, arranged extra help for me. Every day, I would be taken out of regular classes for an hour to be given extra lessons in English and Maths. This continued for a year and I went from being the shy refugee child to a confident popular pupil who was the star of the school football