When I have everything I need for my children, I can be happy and smile and say thank you God.
My children and I have been living in temporary accommodation since 2014. Before then, I was living in private accommodation. The landlord I was with owed too much money for his mortgage so the property was sold. It happened so quickly and I didn’t get any notice. One day I just received a letter saying we had to pack up and leave. It was a really difficult experience to lose our home, particularly because one of my children was only a small baby back then.
I was working until the lockdown as a security guard, but I lost my job due to COVID-19 and have spent the last few months at home with my children. My money is so low now that I can’t afford anything, and I’m at risk of falling behind on our rent. I had to spend too much of my money during the pandemic in order to look after all of us at home. It was difficult for my kids, being locked indoors for so long, so I’m so glad things are starting to open up again and I hope that they continue to do so.
My plan now is to get a job as a support worker. I used to work in a mental health hospital, where I gave patients food, tidied their rooms and spent time caring for them. I have a passion for this kind of work, whether it’s supporting mothers with newborn babies or assisting elderly people with dementia. I’ve always been good at helping people to feel calm and safe. I also really enjoy the culture of these work environments, where we all work as a community for the good of our clients.
I've been unable to find work since the lockdown began and so I'm being supported by Beam, who will also help me cover my travel and childcare expenses during the first month. I really look forward to being in a place where I can earn enough to look after my children. When I’m able to cover that, my plan is to find a way of studying part-time so I can improve my career and our situation.