Stories

I come from a village near Daraa in Syria. I spent the first 24 years of my life there. I went to university and graduated from college in 2013 in accountancy. I got a job in accounts at the local Agricultural Bank. I’d only been in post for two months when the war reached our village. The fighting got so bad around us that we couldn’t leave the house, trapped by the crossfire of government and opposition forces. By Ramadan 2014, it got so bad we decided we had to leave our home. We fled to a nearby village and ended up staying there for two years. Eventually the fighting reached that area too, and it was no longer safe for us to stay.

In 2017, I met my husband-to-be for the first time – on my mobile phone. He was already in the UK. I liked him, he seemed nice and was slim. So I got engaged. I went to Lebanon to sort out my visa and flew to London. I’d never been out of the area, let alone on a plane. I was so flustered. At Heathrow, I got lost and didn’t manage to leave the terminal for three hours. My husband thought I wasn’t coming and had changed my mind!

Arriving in London was bewildering as I didn’t speak any English. We got married and went to live with my husband’s sister for a while before moving into a studio flat together. He worked in a Syrian restaurant. I went to college to learn English.

In 2019, my son Kais was born, but it wasn’t long before he started having problems breathing. It was really scary as he’d start wheezing and change colour. He ended up in hospital on multiple occasions. I spent days with him as he was put on oxygen for asthma. Doctors were always coming in and out, shouting to each other and telling me things I didn’t understand. I went to all these medical appointments and couldn’t make head or tail of what they were saying. I knew then that I had to learn English – and fast.

A friend told me about West London Welcome and said they had a crèche where I could leave the baby while I studied. I put my son in his buggy and turned up at the centre. I was met by Jo and simply said to her “I want to learn English”. So that’s how it began and it’s been the best thing for me. I was taught by Maggi and Rick and Mary.

Everything opens up to you when you can speak English. I can now communicate with the hospital specialists to manage my son’s asthma, and when he was hospitalised again, I was able to navigate the system more easily.

It’s my mission to speak good English. I’ve now passed Entry EOSL1 and completed a year of childcare courses and maths at the college. The experience of caring for my son with his medical conditions and the lessons in childcare have fed into one another. I’m aiming for a qualification in childcare. I think I’ll be able to work in this sector when I finish my studies and get my certificates.

Kais is getting better and I hope as he grows, his immune system will get stronger and his asthma will be controlled. He’s in Year 1 and has lots of friends. Thanks to WLW, he does lots of extracurricular activities – like going on trips to Kew Gardens or the seaside and he’s enrolled in a summer camp for the long holidays. I really believe in doing new things and breaking out of routines. WLW has given me confidence and a support system and friends. I’ve learnt to be self-reliant and that I can do things for myself and my son. I’m optimistic about our futures.