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I was born in Uganda and came to the UK in 2001. Back in Africa, I worked at senior levels as a community development worker and as a consultant for disability and development NGOs. When I first came to Scotland, I was not allowed to work, but chose to volunteer with various organisations which gave me a lot of useful experience.
Once you’ve recovered from whatever made you leave your country, you want to be part of the new country you live in. I had worked all my life, I really didn’t want to stay at home. However, I was stuck in the asylum process for seven years before I was allowed to work due to the government’s policy not permitting asylum seekers to get into employment. It was not easy to find a full time job having been out of the labour market for seven years. As a single mother, child care was one of the initial challenges. I was able to overcome these through the support I received when taking part in a training programme.
I have been working with the Poverty Alliance for more than five years as a Fieldwork Development Officer. I raise awareness about poverty issues and social exclusion, making sure that people are aware of government policies that may affect their lives, and that service providers involve people in projects.
I am now a naturalised British citizen but I am still not sure that everybody who sees me on the street thinks I’m Scottish. Many still label me as a migrant, as a refugee, as an asylum seeker, or sometimes even as an overstayer from Africa. They don’t see a human being, a woman with skills, qualifications, and experience to contribute like anybody else. Gaining a real sense of belonging is a different journey that migrants have to go on.
Ms Mushaka
I was born in Uganda and came to the UK in 2001. Back in Africa, I worked at senior levels as a community development worker and as a consultant for disability and development NGOs. When I first came to Scotland, I was not allowed to work, but chose to volunteer with various organisations which gave me a lot of useful experience.
Once you’ve recovered from whatever made you leave your country, you want to be part of the new country you live in. I had worked all my life, I really didn’t want to stay at home. However, I was stuck in the asylum process for seven years before I was allowed to work due to the government’s policy not permitting asylum seekers to get into employment. It was not easy to find a full time job having been out of the labour market for seven years. As a single mother, child care was one of the initial challenges. I was able to overcome these through the support I received when taking part in a training programme.
I have been working with the Poverty Alliance for more than five years as a Fieldwork Development Officer. I raise awareness about poverty issues and social exclusion, making sure that people are aware of government policies that may affect their lives, and that service providers involve people in projects.
I am now a naturalised British citizen but I am still not sure that everybody who sees me on the street thinks I’m Scottish. Many still label me as a migrant, as a refugee, as an asylum seeker, or sometimes even as an overstayer from Africa. They don’t see a human being, a woman with skills, qualifications, and experience to contribute like anybody else. Gaining a real sense of belonging is a different journey that migrants have to go on.