Syrian refugee shares cups of tea and 'hope'

Mouhyedin Alkhalil said Syrians love to chat over tea as much as British people do

A Syrian refugee is travelling the country sharing cups of tea and "stories of hope."

Mouhyedin Alkhalil arrived in Darlington eight years ago after fleeing the conflict in Syria.

He is now sharing his experiences with communities across the UK via the Cuppa Hope initiative, which is raising awareness for the UN Refugee Agency's UK partner, UK for UNHCR.

He said: "For me, my life stopped the day I left Syria and I came back to life when I arrived in Darlington."

Mr Alkhalil, who is from the city of Homs, lost friends and family when the war broke out and he said his "heart and soul" remains with those left behind.

He said his life became a matter of survival when bullets started raining down upon his city and his family home of more than a century was reduced to rubble.

Forced to flee overnight, he eventually found sanctuary in England through the UNHCR's resettlement scheme for vulnerable people.

He said his focus had been on trying to "give something back" to the country.

He also said the welcome he received encouraged him to find happiness again, launch a career in business and start a family.

"Whatever I do, I can never pay back the love and care I get from people here," he said.

"The way I have been treated by this community, I owe them my life."

'Get a job, pay taxes'

Mr Alkhalil said his mission was to raise awareness and promote understanding of the plight of refugees.

"We are human, we did not want to become refugees," he said.

"I came here and couldn't speak English, I didn't know anything about the UK because I'd never thought about leaving my own city.

"But I came here for safety and then it became my responsibility to become part of the community, to get a job and pay taxes."

Refugees have been engaging with communities at pop-up cafes across the UK

During the sessions held to mark Refugee Week, guests tasted recipes and heard stories from refugees from Syria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, East Africa and Ukraine.

UK for UNHCR chief executive, Emma Cherniavsky, said the events were "about so much more than drinking tea".

"With a simple cup of tea, you can start a conversation and extend the hand of friendship to someone who is new to your community," she added.