We spoke to Sufyan about his experience of finding a home for his family through Bethany’s support.
Sufyan is from Gaza and was forced to leave his country due to conflict.
“We have war in my country. I needed to look around for something… safety, you know. I went to a few different countries before arriving in Scotland. When I got here, I didn’t have any money at all. I didn’t know where to go.
I was an asylum seeker. I didn’t have papers, I could not rent a place to live, I could not work. I slept on the street for two days.”
Sufyan found a hostel to stay in where he was referred to Bethany Christian Trust. Bob, a member of our Move-On support team, helped Sufyan move into a Bethany Homes flat which allowed him to bring his wife and two sons over from Palestine.
“I am new here. Everything is new. But Bethany is like my family. They help me like you would help your family. If I have any problem, I can ask Bob. He is like a brother.
I ask him for college. I ask him for counsel. I ask him for a document. We can ask for anything and he will help.
When we brought our newborn daughter home from the hospital, Bob gave me a gift. It’s like having family here.”
Sufyan is now studying English at college and his wife attends conversational language classes with Bethany’s Inspiring Leith group.
“When I was in Gaza – in my dreams, in my imagination – I didn’t think I’d end up in Scotland.
But I am so lucky. Being homeless is very bad; I have experienced what that is like. We are safe. We can walk, we can study, we can go to school. We can eat our food, we have electricity, we have water. We have a home.”