I completely agree with the reader who has welcomed refugee families from several countries into their home since 1973 (Letters, 25 May).
I am a Ugandan refugee who arrived in England in August 1972. I was only nine years old at the time and my family was welcomed into a home of a farmer close to where I live today.
When the war started in Ukraine I decided to welcome a refugee from the country as a way of paying back and thanking the family who hosted my family in 1972. He has been with me for just over 12 months now and has enriched my life with good conversation and an excuse to visit local areas I’ve never been to over the last five decades.
He found a full-time job within two months of arriving. At the beginning, his English language skills were limited, but with support from his work colleagues and my friends, his English has improved significantly – without any formal language lessons. Within a year his life has changed considerably. Only the other day he said that he was beginning to forget some Russian words.
My experience of completing his visa application enabled me to advise other UK families seeking to host Ukrainian refugees. I have supported about 15 Ukrainian refugees to come to the UK over the last year. There are still many Ukrainian individuals and families seeking hosts in the UK. If you are able to support an individual or family, please volunteer. Your local authority will be able to help you with the hosting process.
Paresh Motla
Thame, Oxfordshire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
