Berivan Dosky came to London from the Kurdish area of Iraq in 1990, after fleeing the genocide campaigns against the Kurds. She is Director of the Kurdish Housing Association, and is also active as a poet.
I tell you the pattern of how I struggled and how I did. I was waking up in the morning taking the children to the school, and then going to work and coming back, picking them up from school and feeding them, trying to ask someone to come and look after them while I go to study in the evening, and the next day start the same.
So, that was the pattern of my life, to look after the boys, to--, to do work, to earn living and at the same time to study in the evenings for my next step to establish ourselves, to earn living, to earn better life let's say.
That has been the pattern of--, of my life but I have not neglected other sides as well, for example my social commitments, with my community, with the friends, with the boys, my family--, I've spent time with my family, I've done my social commitments with the community. I'm a member of management. I've been member of management committee for so long in so many organisations and I've spent time and energy and effort helping these communities and I've always found time because I had--, because I'd known--, I believe my priorities and when to focus at what time, and that's how I believe I managed.
And we have no choices but to work hard, refugees have no choices but to work hard. When I first arrived I had the choice either to go down or to stay on my feet and I decided to stand on my feet, and help myself, and my family, and if I'm able to help others, then it's a blessing.
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