In the last of a series looking at the lives of refugees in Nottingham, we discover how the city is providing a precious new home – and new hope. JO ROBERTS reports

STRENGTH and dignity – that's what Fungai Gakanje exudes.

An asylum-seeker from Zimbabwe, she founded and runs the African Women's Empowerment Forum.

Despite being forced to flee seven years ago without her five children or her husband, Fungai has made a conscious decision to embrace her new home – and forge a life based on her convictions.

"I focus on positive things, otherwise it would damage my mental health," said the 42-year-old, who lives in the Basford area.

"I formed the African Women's Empowerment Forum because I was affected by destitution – I couldn't talk to my children, because communication links to Zimbabwe were difficult, and I would meet with other women like me at Victoria Centre because we had nowhere else to go.

"Many would openly shed tears when we talked about our situations and say 'What can we do?'

"I responded to their voices and came up with the constitution in 2006 that, as a group of women, we would come together to represent ourselves.

"We would sit down and structure what we wanted to say at our own asylum claim hearings, but also to help this community understand who asylum-seekers are, and to educate the city council.

"We Africans are not here for no apparent reason; we are here because there are wars out there."

The group runs cultural programmes, including sewing and arts sessions, as well as an advice and consultancy service for asylum-seekers.

"We are doing things to comfort ourselves, though we have been put on hold for a long time by the Home Office. It is not easy to take, but we find ourselves coping," said Fungai.

She was forced to flee because she had been on the staff of a minister in a department that worked with white farmers. When they started to be killed and persecuted, Fungai was associated with the farmers and viewed as a supporter.

She said: "I was in a lot of danger and had to flee for my life. As a woman who had to leave children back home, it is a constant pain.

"About 55% of our women, out of 142 members, have had to leave children at home. It is a lot of anxiety that we have gone through.

"I don't know what will come up in my future, but Nottingham is my home now. I've been here for more than seven years and I'm part of the community.

"Sometimes you hear some unkindness, but you just close your ears and move forward. Generally Nottingham is very good."

Fellow Zimbabwean Tendai has found Nottingham a place to raise his sons without fear of bullying, beatings and random imprisonment.

"This city is a pleasant place to be. Over time, I've got to know people and built up friendships," said the 36-year-old, a father-of-two.

Earlier this week, we told how Tendai and wife Patience fled to the UK following false accusations that they supported opponents of Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Tortured and threatened with death, Tendai made an asylum claim on arrival in the UK in 2002.

He was followed by Patience, who had become the target of persecution in Tendai's absence, in 2003. The couple were reunited in Leicester, before being re-housed in National Asylum Support Service accommodation in Lenton, Nottingham.

They had little choice in the matter.

"There was no accommodation available in Leicester, so we were put in Nottingham – that's how we came to live here," said Tendai.

"But I'm glad that we moved to Nottingham. I was able to volunteer at Refugee Action, which really helped. I contacted the office from their website and asked for volunteering opportunities.

"It made me feel more welcome here, as I had something to do, I had responsibilities.

"My role with the refugee awareness project for about two years was to go out and give sessions to schools, police, probation and other groups. I was talking about issues around asylum-seekers – why they leave their countries, what the media is saying, what asylum-seekers go through.

"Volunteering enabled me to talk to British people, which gave me the chance to build my confidence. I've gained a lot of knowledge about areas and organisations I wouldn't usually have gone to, and made new friends. It's been very eye-opening in so many ways."

Tendai's family is now in touch with a significant Zimbabwean community in Nottingham, and is raising his sons with a knowledge of their heritage as well as of their country of birth - the UK.

"We have functions together, cook Zimbabwean food, play Zimbabwean music - just socialising. It makes me feel at home, feel like I'm part of a family. It gives me a sense of belonging and in that process we also feel that Nottingham is now our home.

"Our first son, Vambai, was born in 2004, in Leicester General Hospital. And our second son, Tom, was born in Queen's Medical Centre in 2006. Becoming a father was good and exciting but also worrying because of the situation I was in at that time. Being an asylum seeker, everything that you can do is limited, even when it comes to the schools that you would like to take your children to."

Fortunately, Tendai and Patience were granted refugee status just weeks ago. "It was a big relief," he said. "You can actually now start to focus on the future and what you want to do – whether it be work or education.

"I only got my NI number last week so I'm not sure what kind of work to apply for yet. I think I might like to go back into teaching, but first of all I have to top up my education.

"I've recently studied media production and I'm quite interested in pursuing this field. So maybe in the future I'd be interested in teaching this in schools or colleges.

"One of my main objectives is to go into documentary film making, and probably do documentaries addressing some of the issues relating to asylum seekers and refugees, trying to show the effects that policies are having on the people and the nation as a whole."

Anyone is capable of making a valuable gesture to make an asylum seeker or refugee feel that bit more welcome, says Tendai.

"I would say that the key lies in simple acts – just talking to them," he said. "If people know some asylum seekers and refugees in their community, welcome them by talking to them and being friendly with them, instead of being angry or showing frustration against their presence. Refugees as people have already gone through a lot."

For further information on Refugee Week and issues surrounding asylum, visit www.simpleacts.org.uk, www.refugee-action.org, www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk and www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/asylum