As images of destruction in Gaza and Ukraine show, homes are fragile, and those of us who have them are lucky.
With the help of charity Refugees at Home, generous Londoners have opened up their houses to people fleeing persecution around the world. Celebrities including Gary Lineker have signed up with the charity, which has brought an extraordinary group of people together this Christmas.
Here, we tell their stories.
Olena and Colette
From her 15th floor flat in the North of Kyiv, Olena Zotsenko could see the Russian army invading her hometown out of the window. As the enemy forces came down through Belarus last February, 33-year-old Olena watched missiles fly and buildings burn on the outskirts of the city. To shelter, in case her bedroom windows smashed, Olena would sleep in the corridor, or the bathroom, or sometimes a cold underground basement, catching as much sleep as she could.
As the Ukrainian army fought back, the economy took a big hit. Olena lost her job in banking when her firm put operations on hold. As a young man, her fiancé Ivan isn’t allowed to leave the country. But as their finances got tighter, the couple started to wonder if Olena should, for her safety and their security. She contacted the charity Refugees at Home to ask for help.
Over in East London, legal secretary Colette Fleming, 54, was watching on the news. Colette had always loved living alone, and thought she’d never want to share her flat in Plaistow. But watching the bombardment of Ukraine, she started to change her mind. A keen traveller, Colette had been to a museum dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising in WWII only a few months before. There, she’d been struck with a deep gratitude, thinking that type of war in Europe was over. Now, as Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded, she felt “compelled” to help.
At first, Colette went to solidarity events in Trafalgar Square, and after talks with friends, decided she’d sign up to house a refugee. After struggling to get help from the Government directly, Colette contacted Refugees at Home. As a woman living by herself, she wanted to make sure to get someone who was a good fit for her, and they put her in touch with Olena.
Bureaucracy delayed Olena’s move by months, as she struggled to get a British visa at first. When it finally came through. Colette travelled to Warsaw to meet Olena from the train, to make her feel more welcome. Together, they flew back to her new home. There was more struggle when they arrived in London, as they had to fight the Home Office to get a residence permit.
In the meantime, they started to build a life together. Even though Colette asks her not to, Olena likes to help around the house: she helps clean, and cooks borscht once a week. The pair watch TV together, and Colette helped with Olena’s CV – after months of trying, Olena got a job at Metrobank. They will have a quiet Christmas together, as Olena saves up money in the hope of going back to see her family and fiancé again soon. Both agree they are “more like sisters” now. Watching the destruction in Gaza, Colette wishes we could take more refugees from there too.
Inspired by Olena’s grace and bravery in moving to a new country having never been there, Colette has developed a passion for Ukraine that has changed her future plans for good. Olena teaches her Ukrainian on a white board in the home, and the pair even visited Ukraine together for Orthodox Christmas last year, during a pause in the bombing. Colette liked it so much that she decided that she wants to go and teach English in Ukraine when it is safe to do so, and thanks Refugees at Home for the idea. “I am so grateful that they brought Olena into my life” Colette says.
Stefanie and Sandy Garcia Padilla
Stefanie Garcia Padilla was 28 and her sister Sandy (not pictured) was 19 when they moved to London from El Salvador in 2021. From the Ahuachapán region in the north of the Central American country, they were threatened by gang members who told them they would shoot them if they refused to give them money. The two women had to leave their family behind to come to England, and at first lived in hotels, before finding a more stable life with Refugees at Home.
They found a sanctuary at Faithful Companions of Jesus convent in east London, which had decided to open up its spare room having seen talk of refugees on the news over the years. Gloria Calabrese, a sister at the centre, says that Stefanie and Sandy have become close with the community of nuns over their four months living together. The oldest nun, Bernadette, is in her Nineties. Stefanie and Sandy cooked Pupusa, an El Salvadorian flatbread.
The stability of living in a home with others has helped Stefanie and Sandy to integrate in Britain – and not just learning English. “We learned about recycling,” says Stefanie cheerfully. They both have jobs, with Stephanie working in a grocery shop, and have found a flat of their own in Deptford, which they will move into just before Christmas. But they still plan to spend Christmas together with the sisters – the group have now become friends.
The sisters previously had a woman called Helen from Eritrea to stay with them a few months. She taught them how to bake Eritrean bread, and speak a few words of her language. Gloria says the experience of hosting has been “enriching” for the sisters, allowing them to see what life is like around the world. “Sometimes people are afraid of others who are different”, she says. “We’ve learned so much, not just culturally… I can’t say enough how much I would encourage anyone to take part.”
Amin and Valerie Lilley
Amin, then 25, left his home in Iran around nine years ago after he was held in jail for political reasons, and feared further persecution. He first went to Sweden, but later came to the UK to live near his two sisters, who both live in London.
Valerie Lilley, who lives in Tooting, decided to sign up with Refugees at Home when she read in a magazine about how they’d helped a Bangladeshi family. She’d worked for many years at the British Council, where she got a passion for world cultures, and after deciding they could spare a room, she and her husband decided to house someone in it.
The couple feels comfortable leaving Amin in her home when she goes to visit her stepson in the countryside, or on a trip in her campervan – and says it’s actually saved her money. “For years I've been paying cat sitters,” she jokes. Amin comes and goes as he pleases, and Valerie only asks that he let her know if he’s going to be back late.
Valerie previously hosted a young woman from Eritrea, who later moved to a hostel in Kings Cross, where she has more chance of being housed permanently. Valerie is sometimes frustrated that the system doesn’t do more for people who need it, and says working with Refugees at Home has made her realise that the perception that it’s an easy ride for refugees is wrong. She thinks that living with an English family has helped Amin integrate in London, and says hosting “gives you insight into how you can help people”.
“You get more back from giving than receiving,” she adds.
Amin used to work in a pub on the South coast, and he occasionally cooks for Valerie and her husband, particularly Persian rice dishes. He is now training to be a bus driver, and hopes one day to drive a red London bus. He and his sisters don’t celebrate Christmas, but he will have a meal with Valerie and her husband on the 25th. “I really like her, she’s really kind, and I feel like I’m with my family,” he says.
