It is now much harder to access the services I benefited from in 2015. The MSF project I am part of works mainly with those cut off from this support. People are forced to live in squats, camps and temporary shelters and the outreach team I am part of aims to provide them with mental and medical care, health promotion and infection prevention and control. We particularly care for the people who are most marginalised and have the least access to care, shelter and protection.
It is a special feeling to do this work with newcomers who have been through so much because I was in their shoes (so many years ago).
A humanitarian heart
There are many stereotypes about migrants. But I know thousands of people like me who had to leave a very difficult situation. Since I’ve been here, I’ve mostly worked seven days a week. Even now, alongside my job at MSF, I work as a courier and deliver food so I can continue to feed my family. Refugees and migrants contribute to the economy and development of the country they live in. We just want to build a future.
Sometimes I think back to a moment on the MSF ship when we were rescued. I was talking to the cultural mediator, an Iraqi. I asked him what qualifications I would need to one day do a job like his, helping people when they need it most. He told me that you don’t need any special qualifications, just good communication skills and a humanitarian heart. All these years later, here I am.
