On Sunday the 13th of July, I will be running the Saucony 10K to raise money for Da’aro Youth Project.

Some of you might know of Da’aro as the youth club and support network based in South London which supports young people from the Horn of Africa — including Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia — who’ve come to the UK as refugees or asylum seekers. A lot of the young people they work with arrived here alone, with no family or support system. Da’aro gives them a place to belong — belonging here is in the metaphorical and material sense;

It’s a space where they can meet others, eat a hot meal, play football, talk to someone who understands what they’re going through, and get real help with things like asylum applications, housing, education, and mental health support. Da’aro steps in when the state refuses, and often, actively marginalises our youth. It is a standing testament to the power of community and a necessary reminder that all we have is each other and all we need is each other in the face of policing, austerity, and a border regime that is designed to abject.

What Da’aro do is close to my heart and it comes with no exaggeration to say that it is this kind of community care that is the reason I am here today. My dad came to the UK as an asylum seeker, so I’ve always had some understanding of how difficult that journey can be — especially for young people coming from a devastating war, who are still trying to find a sense of stability as they begin to rebuild their lives.

More than ever, to demand a livable life is faced with constant threats — of precarity, expulsion, and a thinning safety net. Sudan is going through a devastating crisis, and more and more young people are being forced to flee. In fact, Sudanese children are now the largest group of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in the UK. Many are teenagers, arriving after crossing the abyss of the sahara desert and the Mediterranean.

Running this 10K is just one way I can try to give back and support the incredible work Da’aro is doing. Every donation will help keep their youth clubs running, fund one-to-one casework, provide meals, and make sure these young people are not forgotten.

Your contribution will make a difference to me, to the organisers at Da’aro, and most importantly, to the youth they work tirelessly for. Please consider donating and/or sharing.

Fatts