I want to be free from being on benefits, to stand on my own two feet, and to continue to support my family and my community.
I arrived in the UK in 2006 after being trafficked here so things have been difficult for a long time. Then in September 2019 I found myself standing hopelessly on the street with my two year old baby after we’d been evicted from the private property we were staying in. The Council had sent a letter to the landlord saying it was overcrowded, so the landlord told us he could no longer accommodate us. We had nowhere to go and I was jobless. It was a nightmare and made normal life such a struggle.
From there we went first into emergency accommodation and then into temporary accommodation, where we are now. I’ve been able to claim benefits to support us during this time but my partner cannot currently claim due to her immigration status. This means we don’t have much money to keep up going.
Things have started to improve now. This began when we got some food vouchers which have enabled us to sustain ourselves. And then I met Beam and since then the future has started to look more hopeful.
They’re supporting me to do training in using forklifts so I have a good chance of getting into work as a warehouse operative. I was inspired to follow this line of work by some of my old colleagues who used to work with forklifts. It just seemed like the kind of job I would enjoy doing, and I hope to get into it quickly.
The most important next steps for me are to earn enough money to support my baby and my family, and to learn something that puts me in a stronger position in the future. I’m happy that I’m getting the support to do this.