Fiyori
When Fiyori left care, she was moved far away from the area where she had lived with her foster family. Her school was still near her former home, which meant a long commute that took a toll on her mental health and learning.
Fiyori had hoped to move and settle into a new area before starting at her new school, but instead, she was moved several months into the term, which disrupted her education and caused extra expenses. With help from her personal advisor, her foster family pr This was sadly not possible, and she was moved a few months into starting at her new school, which was very disruptive to her learning, and a huge added expense. With the help of her personal advisor and foster family, Fiyori was able to receive some financial support, but the experience was still stressful. Living independently was hard – Fiyori had not been taught how to budget, manage bills, or use basic tools like a computer. Language barriers and being far from home made things even more difficult. Despite these challenges, she has worked hard at school and improved her English.
Fiyori came to the UK as a refugee from East Africa and has recently left the care system.
More about me...
I’ve been lucky to have emotional support from a few key people: a teacher who believed in me, a resourceful personal advisor, and foster carers who helped when they could. But being a refugee and in care makes things harder. Every step – housing, school, planning the future – is more complicated when you’re in a new country and unsure how long you’ll be allowed to stay.
Now, I’m active in my local youth club, where I cook, socialize, and spend time with others from my home country. Looking ahead, I hope other care leavers who are also refugees can find people who believe in them too. That support can make all the difference.
Fiyori wanted to live on her own, but her pathway plan didn’t prepare her. She didn’t know what to expect when she left care (read by an actor).
Fiyori wanted to live on her own, but her pathway plan didn’t prepare her. She didn’t know what to expect when she left care (read by an actor).
There was a meeting, my final meeting before such... before the pathway, so they told me I will have a PA and sharing a house and there would be a weekly allowance, yeah, that’s it.
OK. And did you go over a pathway plan together?
Yes, the... meeting?
Well... so there is like a... there’s a pathway plan that you should fill out together,—
Uh-huh, yeah.
—and it talks about your, like, what you want to do in your future and what you... what you’d want your goals to be and that kinda thing. Is that... were you able to fill something out together?
Yes, there was a meeting with... I... my adult and everyone was there.
Oh, OK. So, in the meeting you were talking about it?
Yeah, they ask me and...
OK. And were you happy with it, or did you feel like something... you... they missed something or they could have added some other things?
The thing is I don’t know, I was with my foster, so I don’t know how... how to live by myself and what’s waiting for me. All I was saying is: “Yeah, I want to move, yes, and help me because I don’t know.” I’m telling the truth [laughs].
OK.
Yeah, I don’t know what... what’s waiting for me.
Yeah.
On the things I have to pay, things I have to do by myself; I was not expecting that much.
Fiyori only found out about a service charge after signing her contract, making it hard to know where to start with budgeting (read by an actor).
Fiyori only found out about a service charge after signing her contract, making it hard to know where to start with budgeting (read by an actor).
In addition to my travel, the college, and everything, there was a service that I didn’t even know. They just moved me and after I signed the contract they told me I have to pay £24 service charge a week.
OK. They didn’t tell you that before?
No. I went to see the house. They didn’t see me at all. I signed the contract and then my PA... there was a misunderstanding between my PA. So someone instead of that, the PA that I have now, came and she told me I have to pay like £24 a week, and I was surprised because they will give me £67 and I have to travel. She also mentioned that I have to... if they give me half of the travel money, I still have to add more money for travel, for everything, and still I have to pay £24 as well for service charge.
That one was... that was like, I’m just moving out from my foster’s house, and everything, I’ve never been by myself; it was really challenging.
And I just can’t... I just can’t like do everything. When there will be something I want to buy, I feel like, because one... that night that I moved there, instead of... there was a woman who came instead of my PA, she told me: “You have to say, we have to say that...” I’m really like stressing: “How am I going to do it?” Because all I am hearing is like expense, expense, expense. There was no way that I can get like income because I won’t... I won’t... I don’t have the idea to work.
Also, I want to study art, and because of the language barrier, I have to start from zero. So, the things that I need is like a long-term progress and I can’t just do [snaps fingers] it like this.
But the things and like in front of me were so challenging and to put them together was hard first.
So even budgeting things, you don’t know where to start, and there are a lots of things you have to work out, but you don’t know where to start.
There was a time I was like that. Which one to focus? Do I have to learn how to like do my er budgeting, everything like how to deal with the house and stuff? Or do I have to deal about like travelling, how to travel like in the best route, and-? Or how to be... everything was hard, but like it was like a total change for me at that time.
Fiyori asked early to move before college but got no clear answer, then had to move later and spend a year doing long, tiring and expensive journeys (read by an actor).
Fiyori asked early to move before college but got no clear answer, then had to move later and spend a year doing long, tiring and expensive journeys (read by an actor).
Before I move, er it was just rushed and I didn’t know that. I ask them because it... it was September I would turn 18, so I ask my social worker that I want to move before I start college there, but they told me they are not sure about that. If they don’t find accommodation for me, I have to stay at my foster’s house. So, they were not sure. But after I started and settled down. Then in October they tell me I have to move because they found an accommodation, and that was challenging. I want to try life by myself; I want to give it a chance. Also, moving er like from south to north and travelling ’cause I... I was not ready to change the college by that time.
That was really challenging because I told them that I want to change the college before I start. If I start, I don’t want to start again in the middle of the year.
So, I just keep travelling for one year, like an hour and a half I was travelling.
Fiyori said the uncertainty of waiting for a right to remain decision made life stressful and difficult to plan (read by an actor).
Fiyori said the uncertainty of waiting for a right to remain decision made life stressful and difficult to plan (read by an actor).
When I feel I went and I start planning for the future, I feel like I’m not sure.
And I was feeling like er when I just plan: ‘yeah, I want to do this, I want to do that, I want to do that,’ I can’t do that because I don’t have the right like the government and the paper and I was not sure about: where am I staying; is this my future; do I have... am I going to stay here? So that really challenge me.
I think if they... they will give you a decision after interview, I think especially when you are like in a care leaver, or anything, for these people, if they give you like to give it to make it like quicker process of the interview and give them the decision quickly because this stage is you decide for the future, just like a foundation for tomorrow, or for your future.
So, to know about your future, just like the main thing.
So, if we know this, it will be better, like it will give you more chance to plan.
Fiyori found it hard to plan ahead or think about the future while waiting for a decision on her immigration status (read by an actor).
Fiyori found it hard to plan ahead or think about the future while waiting for a decision on her immigration status (read by an actor).
When I feel I went and I start planning for the future, I feel like I’m not sure.
And I was feeling like er when I just plan: ‘yeah, I want to do this, I want to do that, I want to do that,’ but I can’t do that because I don’t have the right like the government and the paper and I was not sure about: where am I staying; is this my future; do I have... am I going to stay here? So that really challenge me.
OK, yeah. So, is there some kind of support for people who are like you but still in... like maybe they’re in care and they’re going to apply for Right to Remain? Is there something that they should have, or that they should know, now that you’ve gone through,—
Yeah, yeah.
—is there anything?
I think if they... they will give you a decision after interview, I think especially when you are like in a care leaver, or anything, for these people, if they give you like, make it like quicker process of the interview and give them the decision quickly because it will make you like... because this stage is you decide for the future, just like a foundation for tomorrow, or for your future.
So, to know about your future, just like the main thing.
So, if we know this, it will be better, like it will give you more chance to plan.
I really... sometimes I really stress out and I can’t... there is no solution, or there is no solution I can do, my peers or someone can’t help me with. All I’m doing is worrying about that: ‘what will happen tomorrow, what if they reject me, what if they say no?’
So...
Ok, yeah, I mean every day it feels like it can be a struggle because you worry about it?
Yeah.
OK.
Even when you want to work volunteer, for example, I ask to work with children, because I like children, you still need that paper, and you still need like was that, DBS?
Oh, DBS, yeah, they have to check your background.
Uh-huh. For that you need the paper and the passport that can tell about you.
OK. So, you can’t volunteer until you can be DBS checked, which then you need Right to Remain in order to do that.
So, then you can’t work.
Fiyori said a trusted adult supported her to go out, build confidence, and make progress in just a few months (read by an actor).
Fiyori said a trusted adult supported her to go out, build confidence, and make progress in just a few months (read by an actor).
I was for a short period of time, but she helped me a lot. With those like four months and five months, she... she doesn’t just show me, she will take me out one day, she was a kind of person like she push me because she saw me: I was... I’m not that confident, but the thing about me is I don’t have confidence that much, and when she see that, she’ll be like... for example, when I go out, she will take me one day, and next time: “Here you go, go by yourself.” At first, I would refuse and I would just say, “No, I don’t want to go out,” she will tell me: “Go out.” Then even for four months, I would like er progress well, so she helped me a lot as well.
Fiyori was supported by a solicitor who kept in touch and helped her prepare her statement for her right to remain interview (read by an actor).
Fiyori was supported by a solicitor who kept in touch and helped her prepare her statement for her right to remain interview (read by an actor).
I just had my interview yesterday.
Oh, OK. Were... were you OK with it or did... did you feel like you were—?
Yeah, I had the solicitor. I had an interview and she told me she will contact me every three months if there is any update.
OK.
So, I had an interview and she showed me my statement; I was happy with that.
Oh, OK.
Then I was waiting for the interview, I just had a temporary visa.
Fiyori couldn’t volunteer to work with children without a DBS, which she couldn’t get without her right to remain paperwork (read by an actor).
Fiyori couldn’t volunteer to work with children without a DBS, which she couldn’t get without her right to remain paperwork (read by an actor).
Even when you want to work volunteer, for example, I ask to work with children, because I like children, you still need that paper, and you still need like was that, DBS?
Oh, DBS, yeah, they have to check your background.
Uh-huh. For that you need the paper and the passport that can tell about you.
OK. So, you can’t volunteer until you can be DBS checked, which then you need Right to Remain in order to do that.
So, then you can’t work.
OK, yes, that’s true.
You can’t even... there are banks that can’t give you a bank card without that one.
Fiyori said she pushed herself to do her best because life here was life changing, but at first she had often felt alone and struggled with feeling low (read by an actor).
Fiyori said she pushed herself to do her best because life here was life changing, but at first she had often felt alone and struggled with feeling low (read by an actor).
Like those times, I was feeling low, and like because I see my friends, I was really dedicating, but I feel like sometimes you feel like you are putting so much effort, and there are kids like, they have given, given, given, and they don’t care about that. But for me that’s life-changing and like a priority for me, and I’m trying to do my best, but I feel like I’m just alone.
And I miss my mum, and there is a language barrier, and just a lot of things, and there was times, I’m trying to push hard, and there are things to pull me down.
I have to fight them. There was times and I cry like every day when I was going. I will miss train, and I wake up early, so there will be delay in the line. A lot of things, and when you... that time, I was not like good with English as well, there is a language barrier, then when I ask people, they might not understand you. So I will be embarrassed even to ask like, because you spoke English. Sometimes you will not be free even to ask help.
So it was really challenging.
Mm. You said you were feeling a bit low as well.
At that time, yeah, I was feeling low. But talking to my teacher and with the help of my PA and the care worker, yeah, and the... the thing that I really want to achieve my goal, so that didn’t push me to pass those things, those feelings in my head.
Fiyori’s goal was to study and build a better future but the language barrier made it hard (read by an actor).
Fiyori’s goal was to study and build a better future but the language barrier made it hard (read by an actor).
In the UK I’m having the opportunity to study. And fortunately then that makes me like look forward for the future, and it was... I was, needed that, when I came here, it was my aim to study and to have a better future. And the... I get that chance here, but when I do that, there are so many things I have to work hard and it is challenging me. For example, language barrier. So yeah.
Fiyori talked about feeling more settled through charity clubs where young people shared food from their cultures (read by an actor).
Fiyori talked about feeling more settled through charity clubs where young people shared food from their cultures (read by an actor).
When I was with my foster I used to cook sometimes. But the club is so good, especially for someone who doesn’t cook. I think, for me, I can cook, so sometimes when I cook, I cook my traditional food.
So it was fun. But for someone, especially for the boys from our country, they don’t cook.
Only they can eat are Injera or traditional food is when they go to the club.
Yeah. I think that’s really about the food, that’s really helpful for the boys.
For me, so when I need to eat injera, my... as I told you, my foster really helped me, so she will tell me to buy injera, I will go out and buy injera, then cook.
Yeah, so... But still, when you eat injera with young people from your country, there are people who want to try your food and you feel like it’s diverse and there are people who like your culture, and yeah, I feel like home and settle.
Fiyori said that learning to use computers had been hard, and she couldn’t afford the apps that were recommended (read by an actor).
Fiyori said that learning to use computers had been hard, and she couldn’t afford the apps that were recommended (read by an actor).
And they promised me they will get help for me to learn how to work in the computer and things, but they didn’t do that. I asked for that one.
OK. So how are you doing your homework? Is that all on paper, or do they have computers at college for you to use?—
Mm, they... yes, there is a computer class.
OK.
But... so... yeah, at that time in like 30 minute, and at that period, if you don’t do it well, your teacher will come and help you, but still you need more.
Mm, it’s not enough?
Yeah. And I want to do it by myself, but when you download an app or ask someone how do you learn how to write, and people write quickly and something like that, they... they told me there is an app, typewriting.
I try to practice on that, but it ask you to pay.