Menesia
Having arrived from Namibia in 2020, Menesia first got in touch with us in July 2020, soon after she was moved from the Park Inn Hotel in the wake of the tragic events that took place there.
While dealing with the trauma and anxiety following the tragic incident at the Park Inn Hotel where she was staying, Menesia struggled to access essentials due to her reduced Home Office support of £35 per week. The Lifeline Service supported her with two crisis grants and basic furniture, such as an appropriate mattress to allow her to settle.
A trained midwife and radio presenter, Menesia couldn’t wait to enrol in college to get her qualifications recognised in Britain and engage with her local community. We helped her register for ESOL classes and provided a mobile phone and laptop so she could study from home. Menesia is now studying for her English Exam (IELTS) at City of Glasgow College to use her midwife qualifications in the UK.
As she has been waiting for more than 12 months on her asylum claim, and has skills listed in the Home Office’s Shortage Occupation List, she hopes to start working as a midwife again very soon. Menesia volunteers with several groups supporting asylum seekers and refugees, and also was a volunteer during COP 26.
When my struggle was hardest, Positive Action in Housing helped me get through it.