NEWS & BLOG

When I lived at home in Honduras, I used to bake and sell my things on social media. My favourite is called Tres Leches – made with three different kinds of milk. At the moment we can’t cook because we’re still living in an asylum hotel in London where there are no cooking facilities.

Me, my husband Noe and our toddler son had to flee for our lives in 2022. We were being threatened by the Mara gang who wanted money from us which we didn’t have. I was pregnant with my second child, sick with worry and my blood pressure was very high. I was sure they were going to murder us. We moved three hours away out of our area to try to escape them, but they followed us. We didn’t know what to do. Eventually, we thought we had no choice but to leave the country.

In England, the three of us were put up in an asylum hotel in Hammersmith. It was someone at the hotel who introduced us to West London Welcome. This was a godsend.

I remember the first time we came one Tuesday, everyone was so friendly and kind. It felt really nice to find this place. Since then, they have helped us so much in so many ways – with my first appointment at the maternity unit, with English classes which are amazing and best of all introducing me to the mothers’ group on Fridays. It’s so great, as I get to meet with other mums, and we swap advice and chat and look after each others’ children. I feel at home here – it’s like my family.

My second child Stacy was born here in West London and is part of this place. But I am very sad to be leaving. We are being moved to Sunderland this Friday. Our claim for asylum is at appeal stage but we don’t know when it will be decided. It feels awful to have to start again somewhere else.

But I am hopeful and more confident now, thanks to West London Welcome. I like being with people, and ultimately I want to get a job, baking. My husband Noe was a mechanical engineer specialising in welding and laser soldering – he has useful skills and is keen to work. But also, I want to help people and to change the world in a small way, if I can.

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Astrid is an asylum-seeking community member of West London Welcome.