I arrived in the UK in August 21, and after three days in the detention centre at Gatwick I was moved to a hotel in Liverpool.  I was there until February, it was a long time!   Then I was moved with 3 guys from the hotel to this house, but we didn’t know each other then.  At the time I felt conflicted: on the one hand I was happy to have left the hotel, to be in an actual house with a kitchen, but on the other hand I was in a strange area and I was a stranger here.  But now I love it so much!  The Serco House Manager (who is really good) told us about Global Link and I walked there with one other guy: when we first entered they said “welcome”, it was amazing to feel that way.  They sat down with us and explained everything in detail – they didn’t just expect we would hear it from someone else.  And there was a lot to hear about: the language classes, City of Sanctuary, RAIS, the WhatsApp group…we registered for the foodbank and got the number to contact to ask for bikes.  They told us to come back on Tuesday for the lunch drop-in, so we could meet others from Eritrea and Ethiopia. And they gave us a bag with some good, necessary things inside.

I hear from other Eritrean guys who were at the hotel who got sent to other places, I compare with their experience and say this place is crazy!  By that I mean it’s very positive, so nice.  One of them says it sounds like I live in heaven!  They also get some help in their places, but not as much as I have had.

Soon after I arrived Eleanor assessed my language, and I joined the E3 class.  It was so helpful!  I love the classes, the teacher was so nice and brought a lot of supportive materials for us.  That was last year, now I have started L1 class, I’ve only been to two classes so far, but I have heard a lot about the teacher Paul from other guys who say he is so good, always trying to help us learn.  I know I have a lot to learn, but when I watched a video of myself from before I came to the UK, you know, I was speaking rubbish!  I watch movies to learn English – so I am a bit between American and UK English – and each day I put a new word on the paper on my wall to learn.  One day the word ‘severe’ is new to me, but soon it is old, and another word such as ‘utmost’ is new, so that my improvement is on progress.

This year I am doing accounting at the college, I am also signed for maths but I’ve missed classes there.  The accounting is really cool, I’m good in figures!   I like maths and numbers but not reading.

Do I sometimes go to the Tuesday lunch?  No!  I always go, or nearly always, as much as I can!  I’ve got a lot of information from there, if I have any question or confusion there is someone I can ask, and I meet a lot of people.

I’ve been taking part in the Migration Stories project at Global Link with Alison, it’s been so helpful to improve my English, to get more understanding of England and the history, we learned about the Romans and the Vikings coming here so many years ago.  We also get to know the community and have been to so many museums to learn so much, I’ve got a lot of benefits from taking part.  I also registered to volunteer at the theatre but no luck there, I didn’t hear anything from them.

I’ve also loved exploring outside with Global Link.  I missed two trips to the Lake District, but yesterday I want up the Old Man of Coniston, 17 of us went, and 7 got to the top.  Also I went to Walney Island.  Being outside helps me to refresh my mind, I love to travel, it’s my hobby.  Some asylum seekers don’t go on these trips, I think they are stressed out, they have many problems and the trip is not a solution.

Zia at Global Link registered our house for the food bank the first time we met him.  They bring us food every week, it’s a big help because we can’t cook enough with home office pocket money and use the rest money for other necessary things.  Including smoking – a lot of the guys smoke but it’s very expensive here.

Global Link also gave me a laptop which helps me with my classes, and also I don’t feel bored as I can use it to watch films.  And we got a sim, a 6 pack from Vodaphone which can last for 7 or 8 months.  It’s a big help.

Having a bicycle is also nice.  The first time I went to Global Link I walked, and it is an hour’s walk each way, with a bike it’s quicker, and I enjoy riding.  But I also use the bus, RAIS pay £17 a week for me to have a bus pass, I use it when it’s raining, or to go to college, I don’t like to lock my bike for a while there because during the rain and night it’s not safe.

Mainly I have gone to Global Link for help, but one time I was at Cornerstone and had just got a letter from my lawyer, so RAIS helped me understand it.  I could read the English but sometimes with lawyers it’s difficult to know actually what they mean.

I went to most of the community interpretation course that Global Link provided, I thought it would be easy, like, you listen to someone, you repeat it in translation, but it was not simple like that.  There is a lot to think about and I’m not patient enough for that!  I thought I’m not very good at this, and I won’t do it for a job, so I didn’t go to the last two weeks of the course but am grateful for having the opportunities.

Where shall go if I get leave to remain?  Nowhere!  Well, just a little bit along the road and into Lancaster.  It’s good here!  I haven’t had any racism, also you know dirty talk is normal where I come from, people say insults to each other, it’s normal. I think the level of your English matters. And it’s good there are students here from all around the world, I don’t feel a stranger.

Overall I think the staff at Global Link are very professional, they are doing good work and treating us all equally, if someone feels badly treated, well, maybe it is to do with ego and  personality, you can give one man £1 and he is happy and another may complain even if he gets given more!