The young people who took part in this project are all unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have come to the UK to flee political and religious persecution, war and arranged
marriage. They are in the care system here in the UK and are being supported by Pathways Leaving Care Team in the London Borough of Hounslow. According to The Children’s Society, more than 3000 unaccompanied asylum seeking children arrive in the UK every year. They have lost contact with their families and, in some cases, do not know whether their relatives are still alive.
The group started in November 2012, meeting every two weeks, initially to socialise, play games and meet other young people in similar situations. In January 2013, the group was granted funding
by Unltd through London South Bank University’s social enterprise scheme, and we started working on ‘People Like Us’, with a view to publishing it.
The group was lead by social worker Camilla Marshall, and I worked on the design and illustrations, in close collaboration with the young authors.