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Turning lives around: Zahra and Liam's story

I'm from Burundi in Central Africa. I came here on my own. No-one was there - my parents or brothers and sisters. I didn't know anybody. Not my neighbour or the people I lived with. I just stayed in my room." Zahra

Many vulnerable children, like Zahra and Liam, experience social exclusion. Our services befriend and help children in care, those serving a custodial sentence, children with communication or language difficulties and those with disabilities. We mentor young people having difficulties at school or who have been excluded.

We also campaign for children in the asylum system to be treated as children first and asylum seekers second; and provide practical and emotional support to them and their families.

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Help us turn lives around. Your support will make a difference to the lives of young people like Zahra and Liam across the UK.

There are many other stories of difficulties with social integration. Fortunately, Barnardo's is here to help.

Read Zabi's story

17-year-old Zabi, an unaccompanied asylum seeker from Afghanistan, was forced into hiding after his family were targeted by the Taliban. When he arrived in Britain, Zabi was first placed in a children’s assessment unit and later went to a local children’s home.

Zabi was introduced to Barnardo’s Children’s Advocacy Service where he was assigned an ‘independent visitor’ to support him and help him with his English. Independent visitors are adult volunteers who have time to give to a child or young person who has no contact with an adult family member.

An inspirational outcome

In the space of two years and with no prior English language skills, Zabi has taken his English and maths GCSEs and is currently waiting for the results. He now attends college in Wakefield and is doing an ICT course where he is expected to pass with A grades. He has passed English Level 1 at ESOL.

He shares a house with two other young men, one of whom he came into the country with. The young men enjoy cooking, talking and working together.

Zabi spends most of his spare time doing sporting activities – he loves ice skating – and is currently training in boxing. A skilled boxer, he will be taking part in his first fight in September. Zabi’s Muslim faith is also important to him.

Things would be a lot different for me if I hadn’t met the people at Children’s Advocacy Service, I would have no one to talk to me and would just be missing my family all the time."

Zabi volunteers at a local school, playing and teaching football skills to 8–12 year olds. He is currently classed as an unaccompanied asylum seeker, so he will have to apply to the Home Office in order to be able to stay in the country.

With your help, Barnardo's supports young people like Zabi the support they need to turn their lives around.

Some of our facts

Asylum-seeking children contribute very positively to schools across the country. This in turn enables more successful integration of families into local communities.

Barnardo's campaign for children in the asylum system to be treated as children first and asylum seekers second; and provide practical and emotional support to them and their families.