Miqdad's Story: "Upbeat helped me to stand on my feet."

Miqdad moved to Derby 10 months ago after difficulties in his home country meant he had no choice but to flee. He shared how Upbeat helped him as he began the slow process of rebuilding his life. Now, he volunteers to help others in similar situations.

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Miqdad. I am from the Kurdistan part of Iran. So I speak Kurdish, and a little bit of the Persian language. And… I think I speak English as well!

When did you first meet someone from Upbeat?

Actually, it was after one month. When I came to Derby, I went to a church with my friends. We went there for playing table tennis or having a fun time, so I met many people there from Upbeat. I was wondering about how to go to college or study English.

They found the college for me and they gave me the address, but as well, they told me about Upbeat. They said, “we have got a community like this too, we do English classes.” And then I said, “Okay, I’ll give it a shot.”

When I came here, it was really great. I met many, many great people. I was happy when I came here because here you can open yourself up to other people. They listen to you and you can share your problems with them, so they are really helpful.

What do you remember about being new, in a foreign country?

The first day was really strange because I didn’t know anything about Derby or the place here. I was really upset when I came to Derby.

I met one guy in the church, on the Monday evenings when they had refugee drop-in evenings. His name was Ahmed (name changed). He was there, we played table tennis because I like table tennis and he was good at table tennis.

When I came to Upbeat, we had a breaktime in between the English classes and I saw Ahmed! I said, “Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?!” And it was really good to see him because I had no friends back then.

So, we became friends and we were friends together for, like, six months and after that he left.

It’s really hard being an asylum seeker because you meet people, you build a friendship, and then after that, you go to a Home Office house. So you have to go to somewhere else, and your friend goes to somewhere else, and you don’t have the opportunity to visit them because it’s really difficult and expensive.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about what it’s like to be an asylum seeker?

It’s really terrible to be stuck in a room. You have plenty of time, but you don’t know what to do with your time. You are not allowed to work, so you have just got plenty of time to be doing nothing.

You have been deactivated. Because you are just in a room. And you’re sleeping and you’re waking up, sleeping and waking up. And just waiting. Just hoping for the opportunity to build your life here.

Even the country is new for us. Everything is new; all the systems. It’s even difficult to go to the shop like we did in our countries in different ways. You have to know someone to do everything with you. You need an English friend.

For me, it’s terrible. But as far as I can do, I can manage to respond to this circumstance in a good way.

What are some of the ways that you have learned to manage? What has helped you?

Coming to Upbeat, you get the chance to meet other people, and you get the opportunity to speak with English speakers, practise your English, and get better. You can practise what you have learned. When you express the words, and put them in a sentence, and say it verbally, you will remember the words and the phrases you have learned. So it was really helpful for me.

You’ve recently begun volunteering at Upbeat. What’s that experience been like for you?

It’s a long time I’ve been here. It’s been maybe 6 months since I first came to Upbeat. When I heard that you need volunteers, I said, “Why not me?”.

Because, when I came to Derby, there was nobody in the city helping me but Upbeat. So, after that experience I had with Upbeat, I have to share it with the other guys. I have to help them. There are some Kurdish people I have met; we share the same language. If my English is somehow better than theirs, I have to put it to use, helping them. They have to benefit from me; I am here to help people.

I like to help people the way Upbeat helped me. You offered help for me and I can repay you in this way, maybe. So it’s really great to do that; I am really happy to volunteer at Upbeat.

I was lame when I came here and Upbeat was a crutch for me so I could stand on my feet. I have to repay you back.

Is there a moment you’d like to share where you particularly identified with somebody?

Really, I’m facing that every day, whenever I see new people coming here. I’m really shy. When I first came here, I was so shy I couldn’t even sit on a chair. I thought that maybe someone else should.

Everything was new for me. The city was new for me; the people around were new; everything was new for me and I didn’t know anybody.

When I came to Upbeat, somebody made a drink for me, I think maybe it was Grace (Upbeat Staff), the first day when I came here.

She was really smiling to me and coming to offer help. ‘What would you like? Would you like a drink? We have classes…’ and she explained everything for me and it was really great.

I always remember that moment when new people come into Upbeat and I’m registering them. I always try to do it the same way that Grace did to me.

I remember. And as far as I remember, I will do the same. To be open to the person that wants to open himself to me. I will listen to them if they have got a problem, or they need any help.

What do you hope for the future?

I hope my situation will get better. I would like to get a house, to live, to have some privacy, and to get residency. To be settled here because it’s really unsettled now.

So, I hope to settle down and to get residency and to get the opportunity to work. I hope that in the future, if I have the ability to do it, I can study in university. I really like Psychology.

Upbeat is a place where many people find home and belonging, as well as the confidence to find their feet again. You can help us to keep providing this for people like Miqdad by making a one-off, or monthly, donation: upbeatcommunities.org/donate