I had the amazing privilege of interviewing a lovely woman called Iman, who stayed at the emergency night shelter in Spring of Hope for a month. Iman brought a support worker from Bristol Somali Resource Centre, who acted as an interpreter, and Trudy, Spring of Hope Admin Officer, joined us. Despite all four of us being from very different cultures, at different ages and having had vastly different life experiences, as Iman herself said, “We are women. We are the same.” Throughout the following hour or so, there was much emotion and some moments of ‘holy silence’ as the gravity of Iman’s story unfolded.

Violence, chaos and fear

Iman is a 42 year old Somalian woman. Unspeakably, as a child during the Somalian civil war of the early 1990s, her Mother was shot and killed. Iman, her Father and siblings had to flee immediately, but heartbreakingly, in the middle of the violence, chaos and fear, Iman was separated from the rest of her family and was alone and vulnerable. This started a decade’s long journey of violence, abuse and systemic rejection.

Iman spoke of how she never knew where she was going and was sent from country to country, through many African countries and into Europe. Each country she arrived in told her she was unable to stay and one even imprisoned and beat her to the point that she has almost lost sight in one eye. She slept on the streets in many European cities and spoke of “bad times for me” and “seeing very bad things.” God only knows the extent of the horrors and traumas Iman has experienced.

Cold European winters

Day after day, night after night, year after year, Iman was on the streets. The cold European winters took their toll. When she spoke with a Home Office agent about her situation, in desperation, she told them to send her back to Somalia. She was emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted and said she would rather go home and be killed quickly by being shot, than die slowly on the streets from exposure and hunger.

Over the years, Iman has tried desperately to get in touch with her siblings. Her now adult son lives in Djibouti. In Iman’s broken English, she wanted to share, “My son, he say thank you very much. When I’m here (Spring of Hope) every night he calls me, ‘Mama, you have place to sleep?’ I say ‘yes’. And he said ‘thank you’. He know today I come here. He say ‘we thank you.’”

Short-lived hope

Iman managed to connect with some of her siblings and found out that her Father lived in Minnesota in the United States and had a second family, so she has half siblings as well. Her Father was desperate to help Iman by sending money and contacting the United Nations. However, tragically he passed away the year after they re-connected.

More tragedy

Iman arrived in London via bus and was waiting for her refugee application to be processed. Tragically, she was taken by a man and forced to live with him for 9 months, “like prison, he using me same like wife and he not my husband.” Somehow, Iman managed to escape and a kind woman paid for her to take a bus up to Glasgow, where she was told she would be safe.

As you can imagine through broken English, the interpreter and recounting decades of trauma and abuse, the timeline of events gets a bit muddled. However, at some point in the chaos, Iman was granted 5 years leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office.

Arriving in Bristol

After going back and forth on the phone with siblings, it turned out one of Iman’s brothers lived in Bristol. “I call him. He don’t believe me. I say ‘I’m Iman. I stay in Glasgow, Scotland.’ He say ‘Come, come, come, come here.’” Iman arrived in Bristol in February 2023 to stay with her brother. However, her brother’s wife was an alcoholic and became aggressive, kicking Iman out of the house.

Iman was left with no choice but to sleep outside again in the wet and cold of winter. By chance, a kind Somali man came across her sleeping rough and took her to Bristol Somali Resource Centre to get help.

Finally some hope at Spring of Hope

Iman was given a safe and warm place to sleep at Spring of Hope, whilst working with St Mungo’s (commissioned homelessness service) to find more permanent accommodation.

Her first night she was very anxious but in the morning when she went down for breakfast, two other Somali women were staying as well, so she relaxed and made friends.

“When I came here, I’ve been welcomed. I came in and they sit me down and they give me shower gels, toothbrush. I get changed. I had shower. I’ve been getting all the necessary things. They give me shoes, towel, warm trousers, everything. In morning, I wake up I take coffee. I take food and eat. They washed my clothes. They made me happy. I’m very happy because I’m living same like home.”

Continued support

After a month, Iman was given a room in a shared house. The team at Spring of Hope continued to support Iman by providing clothes, toiletries, someone to talk to and the odd night of respite when her shared house got too noisy. When the time comes they also offered support with the UK Citizenship exam for Iman to become a permanent resident here.

Final words from Iman

“I will never forget how I’ve been welcomed and being treated here. I work part time and have house share. When I work full time I come and I help. I send you help. They help me, I help them.”

What an amazing attitude to have after a life filled with tragedy.

Find out more about Spring of Hope: https://www.inhope.uk/our-activities/spring-of-hope/

Make a donation to help women just like Iman: https://www.inhope.uk/donate/