91 - helping an asylum seeker buy items to help with congenital condition - August 2022

This weekend, we are pleased to be able to share news of our 91st donation, which has allowed us to offer help and support to an incredible lady we will refer to as R to protect her identity. We were contacted by Jenny, a member who works as a volunteer in Sheffield with Care4Calais - https://care4calais.org Care4Calais offers crucial support to asylum seekers in the UK, France and Belgium. When asylum seekers arrive in Sheffield they are first housed in hostels and hotels before being moved to shared housing in different parts of the UK. Among many other tasks, Care4Calais volunteers work hard to provide clothing and essential items for asylum seekers who arrive with nothing. Jenny first met R - a delightful young female Iranian asylum seeker - in June this year. R had fled Iran and arrived in the UK on the back of a lorry in December 2021 with just the clothes she stood up in and is now living in a shared house in Sheffield. Jenny & R communicate in Farsi via the Google Translate app which is widely used by volunteers as a means to connect with the asylum seekers who speak many different languages. R has suffered immensely having been born with a congenital condition which has made life very uncomfortable and challenging for her. Her condition means she has disfigurements and physical differences, and growing up in Iran, she suffered extreme forms of abuse and bullying. Disabled people are expected to stay at home and to not integrate within society. She was humiliated, laughed at, rejected and verbally abused. She wasn’t welcomed in public places and everyday community groups. She fought for her independence as a disabled woman and challenged the authorities who imposed restrictions on her freedom. As a non-Muslim the challenges were even greater, and threats were made against her for contravening what was expected of her. R took a huge risk travelling to the UK alone in search of a better life, and this was a great wrench for her family with whom she remains in daily contact. When Jenny met with her R showed her letters from her GP and hospital consultant confirming her diagnosis and outlining what R needed to support her congenital condition and health needs. This included pure cotton clothing which is more friendly on her skin; cosmetics to conceal her disfigurements; body lotions to aid to ease her condition; new natural bedding and specific food items. Her muscle weakness and inability to walk any distance without pain meant that access to a City Wide bus and tram travel card would also be a welcome addition to her life. Asylum seekers receive £40.85 as a weekly allowance to buy food, clothes, toiletries, and tickets for local transport. R’s weekly allowance prevented her from buying these essential items which would make life a little more bearable for her. We were only too happy to give R £500 towards getting some of these items and our member Jenny was kind enough to take her shopping and help her make the purchases she needed. Applications have been made to organisations who may potentially grant some ongoing funds to help R as she lives with life-long additional needs, but for now we are pleased to have been able to help out. She has told us what an immediate difference these things have made to her quality of life and have proved crucial for her well being. R is full of gratitude and understands that the funds were donated to her thanks to the generosity of members of 500 Together. She wants to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone for their kindness. We also extend our thanks to Jenny, who is clearly making such a positive impact on R’s life here in the UK. Volunteers like her do such amazing work.