Illustrations by Maksym Filipenko

I’m more than my refugee status. I’m a volunteer, student, refugee campaigner, renewable energy engineer, a Dolly Parton fan, and avid music lover who is still hoping for a kinder and just future for refugees.

People can see refugees as numbers or headlines, but we are so much more than that. We are people with stories, talents, and hopes that go far beyond the labels placed on us.

I came to the UK from Zimbabwe in 2003, fleeing political persecution. Back home, I joined student demonstrations calling for change. But protests were brutally suppressed, and I was beaten and left scarred for standing up for justice.

That was over twenty years ago. And still, I am waiting for my asylum decision.

Life in the asylum system is defined by waiting. It drains your hope when you’re not allowed to work and must survive on minimal government support. I’ve watched as time and opportunities have passed me by.

But I refuse to let waiting define me.

While I’m not allowed to work, I’ve found purpose in education and volunteering. I completed a leadership and management diploma, and now I’m studying renewable energy engineering at university which is inspired by years of power cuts back home.

Beyond studying, I’m an avid music lover. I make music from scratch in the studio, everything from rap to reggae to Dolly Parton. Music gives me freedom whenever I feel stuck in life. I like to think of myself as an open book with diverse interests which is something that often surprises people.

I’ve faced racism, sometimes on the streets, and sometimes within the asylum system and it is discouraging. I’ve learned to channel that pain into building bridges with communities instead of walls between us.

These illustrations tell my story, not as a statistic or a case number, but as a human being living with hope, ambition, and dignity.