Case study: 'Amina'

'Amina' is a 51 year old Somali lone parent and has lived in London for 22 years. She has seven children including a disabled daughter.

My husband died many years ago in a car accident. My daughter was also in the car and then she lost most of her sight. She started losing her memory. She gets angry very quickly. I look after her every day. I have to wash her and help her put her clothes on, cook for her. She is 21.

I am on income support - £139 per week. It is difficult to survive on this money, I have many mouths to feed. You know my electric bill and my gas, nearly £600 for three months! I was shocked, you know. I never before had a bill like that.
I'm not working because I'm a busy woman with everything I have to do. I'd like to, but I can't.

A big problem I have is because my daughter is disabled and we live on the second floor. She wakes up in the middle of the night and she tries to go downstairs, I have to get up and get her to go back to bed. It is very dangerous. I broke my foot recently. She could easily hurt herself. I need to have a house on the ground floor, but the housing association has been saying no to me for two years.

I have been living in this country a long time, but I'm still not comfortable so i am trying to improve my English when I get time. My disabled daughter goes to college three days a week, so those days I can come to English class. I hope to improve my English - because I like it. Everywhere you need it, it gives you confidence.

I like living in London, it's good for me because my country at the moment is impossible.

Posted on 15 May 2009