As we near the end of Black History Month, I wanted to share with you an amazing achievements and collaborations from a Young Person from Carlisle: Bamlak. 

 

Bamlak’s inspiring journey has led her to contribute to a “Temple of Culture” mural CDEC project celebrating asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrant’s culture with participants across Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, and Portugal! Bamlak was also nominated for the Cumbria Children in Care (CCiC) Special Achievement Award!

 

The write up and pictures below were sent in by Mina Banisaeid, Bamlak’s fantastic Support Worker from the Cumbria Team!

 

I first met Bamlak at Cumbria Park Hotel. I had just started my job with Carlisle College as the Refugee Engagement Officer and decided to visit the Asylum-Seeking Women who had been relocated to the hotel to check if they needed any assistance.

 

Bamlak was one of the first ladies I met that day. I inquired about her name, age, and her country of origin. Bamlak could understand part of my questions, and other women who had better English skills translated the rest for her in Amharic. She replied, 'I am just 17 years old; I am from Eritrea, and my name is Bamlak.'

 

As she was under 18, I promptly raised this issue with SERCO and the County Council during our weekly meetings. A week later, Bamlak started her journey at the college. I assisted her in completing her application form. Bamlak informed me that she had been relocated to Penrith and was now under the care of the Local Authorities.

 

Bamlak's enthusiasm and quick learning abilities were remarkable. Her English proficiency improved significantly in a short span. She learned how to navigate buses and trains from Penrith to Carlisle, as well as how to read the clock, as time reading in Eritrea is quite different from that in most other countries. Bamlak also made friends and integrated seamlessly with her classmates.

 

 

During her Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings, Bamlak consistently expressed her desire to become a nurse, driven by her passion for helping people and personal reasons. When asked about her strengths, Bamlak always highlighted her ability to learn quickly.

 

As Bamlak's English and life skills continued to develop, the college granted her the opportunity to participate in a Level 1 Health and Social Care course as a taster session. Bamlak once again demonstrated her rapid grasp of the subject and her unwavering enthusiasm.

 

During the spring, Bamlak and other students engaged in a project with the Cumbria Development Education Centre (CDEC), exploring what it means to be part of a community and the sense of belonging through various art activities and group work.

 

As part of the CDEC project, the college's Citizenship students collaborated on a mural project named 'Temple of Culture' with the Black Wall Assassins, Tullie House Museum (known as Carlisle's House of Culture), and Atma Studio (The Artist). The project also involved other asylum-seekers, refugees, and immigrants from Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, and Portugal. Bamlak played a significant role in this project, and her design is now an integral part of the mural. This achievement brought her immense joy and excitement. A documentary capturing the project's process was created, and Bamlak, along with others, was invited to the premiere to watch it for the first time with fellow participants.

 

 

For more information about the project and to watch the documentary, please visit the following links:

https://www.blankwallassassins.com/wall/atma-temple-of-cultures/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_nsddNTRbc

 

Bamlak acquired a multitude of skills, and her English improved significantly during her time at college and at home, thanks to the support of her dedicated Workers and her own hard work. Her dedication inspired her Social Worker at the time, Samantha, to nominate her for the Cumbria Children in Care (CCiC) Special Achievement Award for those over 18.

 

Bamlak attended the CCiC Awards event with her best friend, Hiyab, and Mina Banisaeid, her Support Worker, at Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. Bamlak thoroughly enjoyed the event and took great pride in being one of the nominees. While she didn't win the award, she received a nominee certificate and a CCiC badge to celebrate her achievements over the past 12 months.

 

 

Bamlak expressed her happiness, saying, 

“I really enjoyed my time at the event. This is a significant achievement for me!”

 

 

After the event, Bamlak, Hiyab, and Mina participated in workshop activities, where they created cupcakes and sun-catchers.

 

About Bamlak: 

Bamlak is an Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Child (UASC) from Eritrea who arrived in the UK in September 2022. Since then, Bamlak has demonstrated remarkable skills and a deep passion for learning English to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. She is a confident, compassionate, and independent individual always willing to learn and help others.