UNHCR Help
Country-by-country information for refugees and asylum seekers.
For newcomers building a life in a new country. Talk with people in Zimbabwe who know what it is like, find help near you, and join the worldwide circle too. Free, always.
Next gathering in the Zimbabwe circle: Weekly check-in ยท
Country-by-country information for refugees and asylum seekers.
โFor whoever is where I was: Not that long ago, about a year, that was me. The first winter. That was my life. Today I made breakfast, went to work and laughed at something. xโ
โYou will rehearse conversations that other people do not think twice about. That is okay. You will hear your accent in recordings and cringe. That is okay too. The thing I wish I had known is that the fear gets smaller not because you 'get over it' but because you do the thing anyway, over and over, until your body stops expecting the worst. Find one person who gets it. For me it was Mason. And go dancing. Your body remembers how to be happy even when your head is busy worrying.โ
โPlease be gentle with yourself. I wasn't. It made everythign harder. Honestly, getting out for ten minutes a day helped more than I thought it would. And talk to someone, even if it's just in here.โ
โI know the first year is rough. You're going to feel like a stranger in your own life. That's normal. Keep calling home. Find one small thing that feels like yours, a park, a coffee shop, a neighbour who says hello. Don't wait for the loneliness to lift on its own. I waited too long. And if you can, find people from back home. They'll get it without you having to explain. It gets easier, but it doesn't happen by itself. You have to make it happen. Even when you're tired.โ