Welcome to this celebration of the strength, support and sense of humour it takes to rebuild your life in the UK. It’s a collection of stories about seven individual journeys. About what it took to get here and the new journey each person has been on since they arrived. For one contributor, that moment was seven months ago. For another it was 27 years.
Each story has been shared on the contributor’s own terms and captured by a team that knows how it feels to have to start over in Britain.
The celebrated film-maker, Hassan Akkad, co-produced the project for Comic Relief and interviewed each storyteller. The brilliant Amir Mahdavi was lead photographer. The resulting stories are funny, surprising and moving and we hope you enjoy them.
"My interviewing style was inspired by the way I was interviewed.
"People would sit me down and be like, okay, tell me about the war, and I’d be like, okay – do you want to know my name first?
"It’s not trauma porn what we’re trying to do here. It’s going to be fun, we’re touching on important things, and we want to get to know the people behind these stories."
Hassan Akkad, RE-ROOTED co-producer
Supporting photography was by Honour Burges and Daniel Loveday.
Content includes descriptions of war, violence and injuries, references to deteriorating mental health and suicidal thoughts, homophobic language and swear words.
Re-Rooted - Read the Stories
Read the stories
Below are seven incredible stories of seven very different individuals. Click to learn about their unique experiences of starting again.
Alma
At 17 years old, Alma's life was changed by the war in Bosnia. Her story is about her journey to the UK and how she used letters to stay connected with a friend back home.
Amir
Amir, a budding photographer, runner and guitar player, shares how he rebuilt his life after US and NATO forces withdrew him from Afghanistan.
Esther
After fleeing the war in Syria, Esther moved to Lebanon, then Hull, and now London. As someone who always moves towards happiness, this story illustrates the power of positivity.
Janahan
With his life endangered by the civil war, Janahan fled Sri Lanka. This is his creativity, connection to plants, and search for safety.
Joel
After campaigning for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria, Joel returned to the UK seeking asylum. Joel's story champions being proud of who you are, regardless of what the world thinks.
Salim
Salim's story is about his journey over land and sea, and memories of Ethiopia. In conversation with Hassan, Salim shares his favourite books, films, and love for the diversity of London.
Sirazul
Sirazul was born in a refugee camp and has been obsessed with Education since he can remember. This is his story of statelessness, and how the UK offered him the promise of a better life.
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Organisations supporting refugees
The collection is not only a window into seven unique lives – people’s passions, their journeys and what makes them tick. It’s also a tribute to the community of individuals and organisations that stand beside them, and are part of the Across Borders funding programme that Comic Relief launched in early 2020.
The programme funds 19 civil society organisations and partnerships working to defend the rights of people on the move. It brings together partners working from North Africa, the Middle East, Southern Europe and up the UK to catalyse collaboration across the common routes to safety that refugees and asylum seekers often take.
To find out more about the organisations, many of which have supported people featured in the exhibition. Please visit their websites:
Amna(opens in new window), Baobab(opens in new window), Choose Love(opens in new window), Counterpoint Arts(opens in new window), European Lawyers in Lesvos(opens in new window), European Network on Statelessness(opens in new window), Family For Every Child(opens in new window), Good Chance Theatre(opens in new window), Govan Community Project(opens in new window), Helen Bamber Foundation(opens in new window), IMIX(opens in new window), Medical Justice Network Limited(opens in new window), Refugee Action(opens in new window), Refugee Youth Service(opens in new window), Safe Passage International(opens in new window), Saint Andrew’s Refugee Service(opens in new window), Stop the Traffik(opens in new window), The Boaz Trust(opens in new window), The Fund for Global Human Rights(opens in new window), United Kingdom for UNHCR(opens in new window).
If you are affected by the content of any of the stories, you can visit Mind www.mind.org.uk,(opens in new window) or call the Samaritans any time on 116 123. Both organisations offer mental health support.