Over, Under, Sideways, Down - 2

Ebrahim didn't
choose to be a
refugee.
When he was 15,
he found himself
alone, thousands of
miles from home and
uncertain of whether
he would survive.
But he did survive. Ebrahim and I talked
for hours about his experience - the acute
sadness, the fear of the future and the
determination to take every opportunity to
make a life in this country.
During my research for the comic, I had
read much about the resilience of people
fleeing conflict and persecution. Imagine
fighting for your life in a warzone, losing
everything you love and having the ability
not only to cope with that but also with the
feelings of loneliness and desolation that
swell when you are forced to start again.
That takes a certain type of strength and
to me, Ebrahim embodies that.
It is impossible to fully capture the
horror of a journey like Ebrahim's or the
overwhelming pain of leaving behind
your family, your friends, your home and
your identity. But I hope Over Under
Sideways Down reflects Ebrahim's
character and gives a glimpse of the
challenges and triumphs of arriving in
the UK as an asylum seeker and making
a home in this country - a country that
should be proud of providing protection
to people who need it.
Ebrahim didn't choose to be a refugee.
Nobody does.
Over, Under, Sideways, Down

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Over, Under, Sideways, Down
