All Saints Drop-In

The drop-in at All Saints is much appreciated by people in desperate situations in Portsmouth.

A drop-in is a place where asylum seekers in the community can come and meet professionals without prior appointment. There is a warm welcome, free food, a safe social space and access to professionals if needed.

A focus group meeting held with clients recorded that our services are spontaneous, flexible, responded to immediate needs, and offered ongoing care and moral support. We offered continuity of support when others could no longer help. Clients also valued the drop-in as a place to socialise and meet friends.
 
AGENCIES ATTENDING: Friends Without Borders, Citizens Advice Portsmouth, Office of Stephen Morgan MP

Our thanks to Lisette Possi and to Eunice Ciru for sharing their stories

Lisette shares her struggle for her survival and her sanity and her gratitude for the help she has received.
Eunice’s story illustrates the vulnerability of being destitute.

Lisette Possi

My father was an MP in my country (Cameroon) and my Mum was his 2nd wife. When he died fights started because of his inheritance. A lot of my family are in government and I was not, which they used against me and sent the military to come and harm me. When I left in 2007, in my mind was just the thought that I need safety – that I need to go – I didn’t know where I was going. I couldn’t believe my own family had done this to me and some of them are still in the government until this day. I had been shot twice in my face and my left hand was
broken and I had many stab wounds in my body. As well as the physical injuries, I was terrified, I couldn’t cope with being betrayed and my mind had “gone out”. I now know that I was traumatised and had PTSD but at that time I felt like I was going crazy – I couldn’t sleep or eat and I even couldn’t speak properly.

I was helped by the Church and they arranged my passage. I didn’t know I was coming to UK. I was told by someone to go and claim asylum. I didn’t know what was asylum. For your protection I was told. I was in a hostel for 2 months and then sent to Southampton for 7 months. The lady who was sharing with me complained and said that she was in a room with a crazy woman. When she said that, I knew it was true. They moved me to Portsmouth.

In Portsmouth my GP referred me to the psychology service who really saved my life. They took me to therapy. They advised me go to college and to the All Saints drop in and do something in the kitchen and it really helped me and saved me mind. The social aspect really helps with emotional problems. You come to the drop-in and people don’t want to know your situation, they just give you a smile and the hope you need. It is very helpful and it changed my life and it can change everybodys’ life as well. I am a different person to what I was in 2008.

The Home Office refused my case three times. You have to be strong from the inside and on the outside and first of all, I was not strong. They said I was a liar, I felt weak and I wanted to take my own life. In my country they torture me, beat me and abused me and what I said is what happened to me but the Home Office said I was a liar. The Medical Foundation sent me to different specialists and they all said that what I said was true. When we went to the second court, it was a turn around. Today I am a refugee and I am so grateful.
 
In 2012 I finally feel my life is back but the journey was not easy without all the help I have had. I couldn’t do it by myself. I am happy now and I want to be a good citizen and work hard to repay this country. This country is a very good country. The Home Office does their job but it is people like HVG who have helped me. They gave me the means to eat and help with costs to see a solicitor and go to court. Today I have everything because of them. I have done three courses with the NHS on how to cope and how to believe that my problem is gone. It has really helped me to say OK, its done, its finished, I’m safe. I have stopped my therapy now. I am so grateful to HVG for all the good work they are doing in this city, it has impacted on my life and they are changing many peoples’ lives.

Lisette has now started work as a catering assistant and is “repaying”. We wish her success and happiness!

Eunice Ciru

Due to tribal clashes in Kenya, many Kikuyu’s had to leave. In 2001, I came to the UK and sought asylum. UKBA sent me to Scotland and a year later, my case was refused. They only told me that my support was finished, they didn’t say I should go. A boyfriend then invited me to move with him and so I ended up in London. With me having no right to work and no income, he became abusive. I got pregnant and he provided food. I still only had the clothes I came with from Kenya and I didn’t have things like personal hygiene products. I felt so humiliated and undignified; I began to wish I had died in the clashes in Kenya. It didn’t make sense that I was in a first world country, yet I was barely surviving. I lived this way from 2003 until 2008. Eventually he kicked me and our daughter out saying it wasn’t a B&B.

I went back to UKBA thinking if they want to send me back to Kenya, I would rather die in my country than suffer under someone else’s thumb. UKBA told me to get a lawyer. As I left there desperate, cold and crying, a lady found me and said people in Portsmouth had helped her. I went to Refugee Action in
Portsmouth who phoned Social Services. Social Services were quite nasty, asking why had I been up and down the country. They put us in a B&B for 3 days but it was later extended until after the New Year. We got full board but had no money. Until this day, I still hate Christmas.

In 2009 they wanted us to leave the B&B. I had no place to go and I couldn’t even feed my daughter. Another family told me to go to the All Saints Centre and that everyone is really helpful. I got legal help there. They contacted the father of my daughter who denied knowing us until there was a court order for a DNA test. My daughter was a British citizen – at that point I hadn’t known that. A new claim was put in on that basis. Social Services then stopped our full board. HVG chipped in which meant I could buy some

food and a school uniform for my daughter. I started doing odd jobs to help out at the B&B and they eventually took pity on me and gave us dinner as well. The Manager told Social Services that housing us would be cheaper for them and so they paid for housing and my daughter’s maintenance. This came to £35
a week for her food and for the utilities. As for me, I had been living on barely more than air since 2003. HVG helped fill in the gaps in our subsistence.
 
In December 2009, as I had reopened my immigration case, Social Services said I should look to UKBA who in turn said I am not entitled to support. My landlord hadn’t received any rent and came around to deliver an eviction letter. He found us in poor health and a freezing house and he was moved. He knew a
barrister who said that according to the Children’s Act, Social Services had a responsibility towards the child. The barrister roused a top manager in Social Services and they accepted that they had failed my daughter. Although I was relieved something was done, there was a voice inside of me saying what about
me, I’m here and I’m human too. I wanted to scream it but I felt so drained, I didn’t have any fight in me. I had no energy at all. They said her support would be on a loan basis and should be paid back. The barrister reminded them that the money was for the child and that they were requesting money from a minor. They
then withdrew that demand. We tried UKBA again for support and I then found out I could stay with my daughter, the British citizen, in Britain.

It took a whole week to sink in. I just cried, but it was a different type of crying. My whole body had been so tense, it was just such a huge relief. The light was now shining on me. It has been the longest journey ever, ten years of my life had been on hold. It has been so stressful, especially when you have a child. I’ve had to be so strong even though inside I was breaking up, piece by piece. It is not easy claiming asylum - there are so many uncertainties. You are constantly facing people in uniform and a bureaucracy that is disinterested and punitive and it’s petrifying.

I’m now in college studying to be a Children and Adult Nurse. I’m working really hard and surprising myself and getting distinctions and my daughter is doing really well now too. She has won a medal for a reading challenge set up by the council. I’m proud of her and I’m proud of me and I’m proud of the Haslar Visitors Group, they are just my best friends.