cohesionbradford

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A Journey to Bradford: Rasoul's Story

My name is Rasoul, I am ten years old and this is my story.

My land is far away from here and I had to come on a long journey to get to Bradford. My home used to be a good place, we lived in a big house and I went to school. The sun was always shining and we were a happy family. Then the people started fighting and soldiers came, I don't know why. I couldn't go to school any more. Me and my sister were not allowed out of the house. It is very cold here in England and I don't know many people, but I am happy here because it is safer and no one comes to my house with guns.

I remember a morning back home when some men did come with guns. They grabbed me and my sister Shaheen. Shaheen is only three and she screamed and cried for my Mum. They held a gun to my head. I was very, very frightened. I started to say a prayer. They told my Mum that she had to be ready to leave the house in five minutes or they would start to shoot. We had to give them everything, my Mum’s jewellery, our furniture, the house even. We had to get out fast and that was that. In our garden we saw someone lying down in the grass, later we found out that it was our neighbour's son. The soldiers had shot him. My Dad was not with us when the soldiers came, we have not seen him since, but I know he is okay and that he will come and join us here some day. I miss him and wish he was here.

The journey to Bradford is difficult for me to describe. It started that day. The first night we slept in a village where we had friends, then we started a long trek with lots of other people across Somalia. My Mum said we needed to get to Kenya it was safer there. We walked all the way, often hiding from men with guns. We didn't have much to eat. I had never been so hungry. Shaheen was very poorly. We took turns to carry her.

At last we crossed the border and had to live in a tent, in a huge town of tents, it was called a refugee camp. The people there gave Shaheen medicines and there was food too. We were lucky we had family in England, they got permission for us to come to Bradford. There were lots of papers for my mum to sign. We went on a bus to Nairobi and then on an aeroplane and then after a long time we arrived in Manchester. I remember the rain. It was very wet and there was no sunshine.

I go to school now and I like it. I can play football and do PE. I knew some English when I came here. We did English lessons at my old school, but now I know more. Sometimes some children call me names and are unkind, and this makes me sad, but most are okay. I am going to work hard and get a good job, like my Dad had at home, then I will be able to look after my Mum and Shaheen. I hope we can stay here.

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Settling in Bradford: Natasha’s Story
My name is Natasha and I am twelve years old. I was born in the Latvian part of Russia, and came to England with my mum and little brother when I was ten years of age. I did not go to school in my own country because the schools did not want me and my brother. We were frightened of the “Mafia” group who went around terrorising people - injuring, killing and stealing from them. Then it was our turn –they stabbed my dad in the stomach, broke his arm and cut off his finger. He was afraid for me, my mum and brother, so he sent us to England because people said it was the safest place to come. My dad joined us later when he had sold the house and got better.

We landed at Heathrow airport and went to a hotel for three days and then a hostel. We had a room with three beds in it and there was a very kind man living next door who gave us a big television, but he moved out and six or seven men came to live there. They behaved very badly, so we asked to be moved.

Next we lived on the bottom floor of some flats. It was a very beautiful place because we had two bedrooms, a big kitchen/lounge and bathroom. We loved it but all the rubbish was thrown outside our house and when it was hot there were lots of flies and it smelt.

We were moved to a hotel for two days where we met some more families – one from Russia and three families from Poland. We were all waiting to be sent to Bradford.

We had a good welcome in Bradford. There was a full table of food, loads of games for children and the people were really kind and nice to us. We were sent to a house and then I started school for the first time. I felt a bit frightened – I could only speak a little English. I had picked it up from watching television all day with my brother. I found it hard with the teachers speaking in English all day and I had never done maths. The good thing was that I made a friend at school.

Unfortunately, there were people who called us names and one day some boys pushed me over and my wrist broke. Later all the windows were broken in our house and we were robbed. The council moved us again. There we met the other families who had moved with us to Bradford.

Two people from the Traveller Service for Children came and said you have to go to school. So, that day I was excited. They got my uniform and took me to school with two boys until my bus pass came. It felt strange at first in a big school and I had to travel a long way on the bus.

Now I’ve made loads of friends and my teachers are pleased with me. I’ve just moved up a set in English. My favourite subjects are drama and design technology but my best subject is French. I like playing rounders after school every Wednesday. I feel really settled now and hope I can stay here.

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A Forgotten Place: Joseph’s Story (Congo)
I left my country because my parents were killed. I can’t remember what my country was called. I don’t remember it very well. People started fighting, because they like fighting and my parents were killed. I felt very sad and very unhappy. So did my brothers and sisters. We were sent to Portugal.

Then they put me on an aeroplane and we came here, me and my brothers and sisters
The aeroplane stopped at Paris and then at London. I was on the plane for hours. We had breakfast when we got here.

I came here to Bradford. It is okay. I am still sad, but it is better here than in my country because people are not fighting with guns and knives.

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