Salma, a Sudanese mother of three, was welcomed by the Walden Community for Refugees group in Saffron Walden, Essex. Salma shares her experience of volunteering in the UK and finding part-time work.
How did you feel when you were told that you would be resettled to the UK under Community Sponsorship?
It was a wonderful feeling. Myself and my children were very happy.
What was it like when you arrived, your first week in the community?
It was quite hard, because everything was new to me. I did not speak the language, but then the people that helped me to come here, they were very helpful with everything, and even my neighbours were really lovely.
What has the experience been like for your children?
So my children didn’t have any idea about the UK. They thought it’s somewhere that we’re going to be relocating to, but that it’s similar to our country. And then when they started school, and when they started interacting with other people, they really liked it. And they asked me, Mum, why didn’t we come here sooner?
Are they enjoying school? And how’s their English coming along?
They are doing quite well. Actually, they have settled really well. They do have a lot of friends here, and they speak the language like any other children that were born here.
What an achievement. And how’s learning English going for you?
I started with a course. I used to go somewhere to learn, and also I had a teacher at home that would teach me English. But when I started volunteering, that’s when I realised that my English was improving.
How did the volunteering come about, and what is it that you’ve been doing?
At the beginning, when I was at home doing nothing, I was thinking of a way that I can help others and a way that I can speak to people. Maybe I did have the idea of volunteering, and I liked the idea, even back in Sudan, so I always had this passion to help other people.
How did you hear about volunteering in the UK?
The idea was introduced to me first by the group. They like the idea of volunteering, and they pushed me towards it. They said, if you start volunteering, your English will improve.
What did you think when they suggested it?
I was quite excited, actually, because when I came here, it was only me and my children and I thought that by volunteering, it will be much easier for me to get to know other people and to integrate into the community.
Were you nervous in terms of the language barrier, because I know for some people, they worry that when they’re going to be with English people, they will struggle to communicate.
Actually, no, I’m quite confident even with my English. If it’s not that good, by trying to speak to native people, I’ll gain the knowledge or gain the language from them. In addition to that, they will understand that you’re just learning the language, and they will actually try to correct you and help you.
What kind of volunteering was it that the group suggested?
So I did multiple things. I started with a charity shop where I was volunteering, but unfortunately, it wasn’t really a good opportunity for me, because I would be on the top floor with no customers, so I was not interacting with a lot of people. So I tried to change that, and I went to a cafe where elderly people come to have tea and coffee, and I would serve them tea and coffee, and I would sit with them, speak to them, and listen to their stories.
Wow, sounds great. Did you have to do an application? Was there an interview?
Actually, I met with the lady who is responsible for volunteering, and she helped me to fill the application. She asked me easy questions. It wasn’t anything hard, and that was how I got the role.
You said that you were hoping to do it so that it would help you improve your English. Do you think that you succeeded in that?
Yes, it made a huge difference, but I couldn’t stay there for long because I found a permanent job.
Fantastic! That’s great to hear, and we’ll talk about work in a moment. Just one other question about volunteering. Is volunteering a new concept in your culture?
Actually, it’s quite similar [to the UK]. We do have the concept of volunteering in Sudan but the only different aspect in volunteering here is the language barrier.
Of course. And would you recommend that families who are new to the UK try volunteering?
Yes, it’s a great idea. If you’re interested in volunteering, I would say, go for it. You will feel like you’re starting to get to know the people in your community, and you will feel a sense of belonging to the community, also [it will help] improve your language.
So you were volunteering, and then you were offered a job. Tell me how that came about, and what was the job that you were offered?
So the job was a kitchen assistant in a school. The group that were helping me, actually they were the one who found the job. They asked me if I’m interested in such a kind of job, and I said, absolutely yes, and they applied for me, and that’s how I got the job.
Had you worked as a professional in a kitchen before?
No, it was my first time.
Did you have to go into the school for an interview? Did they ask anything about your work experience?
Yes, they asked a lot of questions.
Did they provide an interpreter?
I had an interpreter. I could understand the language at that point, but it was difficult for me to answer back.
What kind of questions were you asked?
They asked me about my background, my education. And also, they asked me some questions about safety and the safety of children. They gave me some scenarios. If this happened, what would you do etc.
Were you nervous in the interview?
Yes. At the beginning, I was quite anxious, but when they started asking me a question. I felt like I could answer the questions, and I engaged with them.
And did they tell you the outcome of the interview on the day or did they call you at a later date?
Yes at the same interview, they offered me the job, but they said I needed to wait for a letter from the government, something like that. And I had to wait for two months.
How many days of work were you offered, and how did you manage to fit this around learning English, looking after your children and everything else?
It was really difficult, but if you have the willpower, you can do anything.
So what kind of things do you do as a kitchen assistant? Maybe you can describe a normal day as a kitchen assistant for me.
I start with some cleaning up . And also I will start with the dishwasher. And then I help them with chopping the vegetables and different things. And also I help with like setting up the place. I help them with serving the food as well for the children.
Working as a kitchen assistant, is this something that you would have ever imagined you would be doing, maybe 10, 15, years ago?
No, I did not see myself working in a kitchen. My plans were to finish with school or university. I went to university for two years and studied business management, and I wanted to stay in the same field, working in business management.
What do you think the biggest challenges have been working in the school?
The only barrier is the language, because sometimes children are not able to understand my accent.
And how do you get over that?
I’ll call on my other colleagues and ask them to help speak with the children.
Great. And I forgot to ask earlier, had you worked before coming to the UK?
I worked as a seamstress.
Is that something that you would consider doing again?
If it was my last choice, yes, because it takes a lot of time, it does not allow you any free time, it’s very demanding.
I’m sure. I imagine it will be the school holidays soon, do you get a bit of a break over Christmas, do you have time off work?
Yes. I will spend time with my children and maybe paint my garage.
Do you have any tips for either groups that are supporting families or for families themselves, if they want to get into volunteering, but are feeling a bit nervous or unsure about the process?
I would advise them to try to be open to other people. If you’re open to people, people will welcome you with open hands as well. And try to get into volunteering. You’re not only helping other people, you’re also helping yourself.
Thank you very much!
I would like to thank the British government for allowing me the chance to come here, because I have seen how my children improved and how they’re doing in school. I would also like to thank the group that helped me to come here and allowed me to have this job. Thank you very much.