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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Amelia Gentleman

‘I feel peaceful here’: how a charity found a welcoming home for a homeless refugee

Robel with his host Frieda Schicker and her cat
Robel with his host Frieda Schicker and her cat. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

On a dark December afternoon, Frieda Schicker and Robel, the Eritrean refugee she has been hosting for the past two months, are squabbling about who should be relaxing on the sofa and who should be making cups of tea.

“He thinks I’m too old to make tea, and he doesn’t like being served,” Frieda says as Robel tells her: “I’ll do it. Let me do it.” She insists on boiling the kettle herself, making him sit down and rest after a tiring day studying construction at a local college.

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