A COLLECTION of powerful real-life stories is helping to raise funds and awareness for refugees.
Journeys To Wiltshire, a book written by ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students at Wiltshire College & University Centre, shares the often harrowing experiences of refugees who have settled in the UK.
The project began when lecturer Tom Evans listened to his students’ personal stories as part of their English learning.
Mr Evans said: “We began to hear more of their stories, and many of them were very moving.
“We heard about students losing close family members and friends and being afraid for their own lives and those of their children.
“We felt that giving them a chance to tell these stories in their own words would be a great way to help them express themselves, so we asked them to write about how they came to live here, if they felt comfortable doing that, which happily many of them did.”
ESOL students Farah Mohammed and Aryan Singh with copies of Journeys To Wiltshire(Image: WCUC)
Mr Evans and his colleagues decided to publish their students’ accounts to help raise awareness and support refugee charities.
He said: “We also thought that this could be a great way of raising money for charities that support refugees both in the UK and internationally.”
So far, the book has raised £400 of its £800 target, with proceeds supporting The Refugee Council, Refugee Community Kitchen, and The British Red Cross.
You can buy the book and support the charities here.
Journeys To Wiltshire features stories from 22 students across nine countries, describing why they fled their homelands, the dangers they faced en route, and their experiences of starting anew in the county.
Among the stories is that of a Sudanese student who fled after government militia killed two of his brothers and jailed him, his brother and his parents. His brother was then killed in prison.
He said: “We got out of the prison, and after that I told my parents that I couldn’t live like this.”
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Nataliia, a doctor, described hiding in an underground car park in Kyiv as bombs fell on the city.
She wrote: “At this moment, you are not afraid to die. There are worse things for you. The worst thing is the understanding that if a bomb arrives, your child may die.
“You pray to God to save your daughter’s life.”
Despite the trauma, Mr Evans said many of the stories also reflect hope and resilience.
He said: “One of the wonderful things that comes across is what a safe, friendly and welcoming home most of our students have found here in Wiltshire.”