DRS in the Daily Mirror! (online!
As part of Refugee Week, to celebrate the contributions of asylum seekers and refugees to live during the pandemic, the Dail Mirror interviewed some amaizng people, including our own Zak!
Refugee Week: We celebrate those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic
Zak Mohammed volunteers to deliver food parcels for Hope charity
Zak, who is an asylum seeker, came to England in 2016 from East Africa, but he has chosen not to share his past as he finds it too traumatic. Instead he has chosen to look at the positives in his life and is “thankful” for each day and is passionate about helping others. He is a volunteer with Hope - a Christian charity which works with local churches and community groups to support those in need. The Nottingham-based charity also helps to run food banks in the city. Since the start of the pandemic, Zak has delivered around 30 food parcels a week for the past two months to residents in need with charity volunteer and friend Julie James. He is also a volunteer with Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity and in the past, he has volunteered with a charity which supports children with disabilities called Umbrella and with Sue Ryder.
Zak, 36, says: “It feels good to help others, I enjoy volunteering. Everyone is different, some people like volunteering and doing something to keep busy, but it doesn’t always suit everyone.
"When I first came to this country I felt alone and I didn’t know anyone and I had nothing to do, which stressed me out. But now I volunteer with the Hope charity, I volunteer with the Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity and I am a keen runner so I have joined a running club in Derbyshire too.
"I have been delivering food parcels for Hope for about eight weeks now, it has helped me to continue learning English, I meet different people, and I have learnt more about Nottingham too. I don’t have any plans for the future, because I have learnt to take each day at a time and to just be happy.”
Full story:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/refugee-week-celebrate-those-who-22158581?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR02u7w4p7BYKNpxyD7-F9Jq4p6J5SOWfI1l8OmrYwOFp7erid5_Jcq9-IA
