‘ Nothing about their future is certain’ Hannah Sansom (MSc Refugee Studies, 2013) oversees the American Refugee Committee’s (ARC) Sexual and Gender Based Violence Program in Thailand


In total, there are nine camps along the Thailand/Burma border and we work in five of them. The Thai government refers to them as temporary shelters but in reality


these are refugee camps. Many of the people here now were born in the camps, and the camp population is not allowed to leave or work outside the camps. ‘My role is to support project managers and


committees within the camps by equipping them with the skills to raise awareness of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and provide direct support to individuals affected by it. Much of what we see here is intimate partner violence. Ingrained attitudes and social norms that tolerate gender inequality and violence against women and girls are a major factor; so too are problems with alcohol and drug misuse. ‘Recently, there’s been growing concern about the vulnerability of individuals with


a physical or mental disability to sexual violence, so a priority is to make sure teams know how to deal with these cases and to challenge discriminatory attitudes towards these groups. Another vital strand is working to engage men and boys with the sexual violence agenda, helping them to understand their roles and responsibilities and explore concepts of positive masculinity. ‘The political situation in Burma is changing rapidly and there’s a lot of talk about repatriation. That’s led to some cuts in funding, which is putting a lot more pressure on our resources. It’s also created tension in the camps because the refugees are concerned about their future. On the face of it, being able to go home sounds wonderful; but for many, there is no home to go to. We work hard to build capacity, and to give as many people as we can skills that they can apply elsewhere, but nothing about their future is certain.’


‘ Now I’m in a position to make decisions about my own future’ Data scientist Dr Mikdam Turkey turned to Cara for support after fleeing Iraq. He has been granted asylum and works for an IT company


I was involved in politics and campaigning for human rights in Iraq, and life


became very difficult for me. I came to the UK and claimed asylum in 2008. It wasn’t an easy process, but that was just the start. The next question you have to ask is: how do I build a new life? I’d always felt like I was in control of my destiny, so it was difficult for me to reach out and ask people what my next step should be. ‘I came across Cara when


I was searching online. I emailed them, they asked


me some questions to see if I met their criteria, then I came in to speak to them. They really helped me to understand the differences between Iraq and the UK and to see how academia and industry work together here. It opened my eyes to so many possibilities, and helped me to understand what employers were looking for and how to present my skills and experience. Even my political experience, which in some ways is the thing that derailed my life, taught me valuable communication and social skills. Cara helped


‘Cara helped me understand what employers were looking for. It was like having a time machine, speeding up the process of assimilation’


me financially too, but that wasn’t the most significant part of what they did for me. It was like having a time machine, speeding up the process of assimilation. ‘My first job was as a teaching assistant at London Metropolitan University, and then I went on to do a PhD at the University of Essex. Cara arranged for me to go and see people at universities on an informal basis, to help build my confidence and my network of contacts. Up until February, I was working at LSBU. Then I decided the time had come to go out into industry and use my skills there. Now I’m in a position to make these decisions and take responsibility for my career and my future. I have Cara to thank for that.’


lsbu.ac.uk/alumni | South Bank_23


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