Mariam Ibrahim Yusuf migrated to the UK from Somalia in 2008 to seek asylum from the war and gender-based violence in her country. She thought her two children would soon be joining her, but after eight years, she is still separated from them, submerged in the asylum system, and homeless. While these hardships are heavy, they do not weigh her down. Mariam campaigns for the rights of other female refugees who want to rebuild their lives, and was recently honoured as Woman of the Year by the Women on the Move awards, which celebrates exceptional contributions by migrant and refugee women to UK society.
“Some of them [female refugees] have lost their self-esteem from what they suffered back home, the trauma,” says Mariam. “I help them to gain their confidence so they can integrate into society. When I go out and speak to the community to create awareness, I act as a role model. They can see that I can use my voice. They want to be like me.”
During the 2008 tribal clashes in Somalia, Mariam’s father paid an agent to take her to the UK. She claimed asylum in Liverpool, and now lives in Manchester, housed by the Boaz Trust, a charity that looks after destitute asylum seekers.
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