Motad's Story in Castlebar

Motad hails from Sudan and is working with Oxfam to gain valuable work experience. Motad fled the war in Sudan over 10 years ago and lived 7 years under Direct Provision in the West of Ireland, a controversial emergency process to handle the amount of refugees in Ireland applying for asylum. However, there are many people living in Direct Provision for over 5 years. Motad lived under this system for 7 years, living off just 19 euro a week, and unable to work. He volunteers here to improve his opportunities in life.

"We had a war with South Sudan, I had no option but to flee because over 2 million people died in that war from both sides, North and South. I just wanted to find a safe, special life and not to hear about the war in the South anymore.

I took a long journey by boat alone to Dublin, thinking about the unknown was hard. I had a difficult experience adjusting from Sudan to life in Ireland, they are both very different. Integrating has been a challenge. I felt so isolated. The dream is to find a job and then save money and create my own business in Ireland.

It is hard for people to understand exactly what it’s like for a refugee but they know there is a problem. but from my own experience you cannot understand the problem unless you go through it, no matter how they explain it to you, you just can’t.

I’m learning new things and getting experience day by day here. I didn’t work for ten years, it was hard. At least I feel USEFUL, because feeling useless is just a disappointment. When you can’t work you just feel you are useless - you are looking for something that you just can’t find. You are not being anything’

“I’ve learned so many things, I’ve managed to go through all that, managed to integrate, try to make a fresh start.. and.. adjusting with the system in Ireland, the entire system, gaining new experiences.. learning English.. I’ve become a different person.. a stronger person… it wasn’t an easy manoeuvre."