Refugee Khalid* reflects on losing his family in Sudan, travelling to the UK and securing his first ever home that felt safe:

I was born in Sudan. I was a very young child when the war started, maybe 6 or 7 years old, so I can only ever remember the war, never a time without it. I lost all my family and I was alone. I try to block all of this out and concentrate on my future now but it was a very hard, dark time in my life.  

I had to leave Sudan. I had a long journey to make but I had nobody left and no family. I left Sudan when I was around 15 years old. I spent time in Kenya and then three-and-a-half years in Libya. Libya was not a nice experience, I suffered a lot of abuse there. 

I have been in the UK for almost four years now. It was very hard not to work while I was waiting for a decision on my refugee status, but I studied very hard. I had gained qualifications in Kenya but here they are not recognised and I had to start again.

I struggled with my mental health because of the experiences I had in my home country. On my journey, when you have faced these things, you try to block them out, but not being able to work, then getting refugee status but facing homelessness, I started overthinking.  

That’s when I found my local EveryYouth charity in Sheffield, Roundabout. Honestly Roundabout saved me. They gave me my hope and a future, not just by providing a place to stay, but by supporting me with everything, including my mental health, advice, listening to me, and making sure I never gave up when sometimes I did want to. I have no family at all in this world but now I have Roundabout family. I cannot express in words my eternal gratitude to Roundabout. 

I now finally have my own place, my first ever safe place. I have decorated it and saved hard and finally for the first time in my life I have a place to call my home. I can sit and I can breathe. I am working now in tiling and construction. I had these qualifications before but now have these officially in the UK too. I have been given the opportunity to learn other trades too. 

“For the first time in my life I have a place to call my home. I can sit and I can breathe.”

I want to have my own business in the future, to be my own boss, to make my own money. I would like to have my own family one day, but for now I am concentrating on building my career and my skills.  

My advice for anyone in a similar situation would be to stay strong, accept support and carry on.  

To find out more about our EveryYouth Homed programme click here.

*Name has been changed for privacy reasons