Family fleeing war in Somalia to be given home in Fife

By: Dunfermlinepress

A FAMILY fleeing drought and war in Somalia will be given a new home in Aberdour thanks to the efforts of villagers.

The Aberdour Refugee Resettlement and Support (ARRAS) group was formed two years ago as residents reacted to crisis in Afghanistan.

They first met outdoors in the wake of the pandemic and have since worked to raise the necessary £9000 to bring a family in desperate need to West Fife.

They used the community sponsorship scheme created by the Home Office to match with refugees who have been waiting to escape climate disaster, drought and civil war in their home country.

A spokesperson for ARRAS told the Press: “There is quite a lot to get, it’s taken two years to get all of that together.

“The house for the family was unfurnished so we have done that, we will also have translators on hand.

“Somalian is their first language and they will receive a welcome pack in their language.

“The Home Office suggests you need £9000 to do this but we have spoken to other groups and everyone says you need a bit more than that.

“I don’t even know what they’ll have for luggage, not much, and they’ll not be used to the changing weather in Scotland.

“The Home Office works with the UN refugee agency to pair families who are in the most in need and who have been waiting the longest.”

The Somali family will be supported to learn English, set up bank accounts, register with GPs and enroll in school.

They will also be given a home for a minimum of two years and will have access to translators on arrival.

There will be two adults and four children, whose ages range from one-year-old to nine-years-old.

“Naturally the family will get to know people,” the spokesperson added.

“The situation in Somalia is different from Ukraine, where it’s expected refugees will be able to return, it’s a more permanent thing because of the impact of climate, drought and civil war.

“We are committed for a year and must provide accommodation for two years, then it is hoped they become independent.”

The spokesperson continued: “I think we have been cautious since the beginning, Aberdour is a small place so it is quite visible but we haven’t had any negative comments.

“Most of the funds raised have been from the local area, it’s been really good.”

There are just 12 committee members organising the scheme but a wider list of 40 who have turned out to help at different times.

They have received just a small amount of information about the family, which has been living in a refugee camp in Kenya, covering their background, where they come from, their language and their education levels.

The family will arrive in late August and until then a fundraiser is being held to support their resettlement.

Participants will be tasked with walking, running and cycling a collective 6,000 miles, the distance between Aberdour and Kenya.

More information and sponsorship is available here: www.justgiving.com/page/arras-walk.