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From hell to Motherwell

Feature on refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who have found a home in Motherwell, including a focus on Justin Kasokota, a former preacher.

The family came to Scotland from the Kala refugee camp in northern Zambia in January 2006 as part of the first group of Congolese to arrive in the country. "I left Moba in DRC in 2003 and ended up in one of the refugee camps in Zambia.

"There were about 25,000 people in our camp. Life was difficult but I used to preach there," Justin says.

In his role as a preacher in DRC, Justin used to translate the Bible for soldiers on all sides of the conflict as many did not speak Swahili. "It seemed strange they would read the Bible then go kill," Justin says. But his contact and relationships with soldiers nearly led to his own death when the Kasokota family were fleeing fighting in 2003. Justin was captured by rebel soldiers and badly beaten while Marie managed to escape to Zambia believing her husband to be dead. "When the soldiers saw me, they said 'this is the friend of those senior army officers so we have to arrest him because those men used to sleep with our wives," Justin says. After being freed and treated for his injuries by the Red Cross, Justin later found his family in the Zambian refugee camp. He says that God saved his life.

Father Stephen Miller, of St Luke's Church in Motherwell, has been at the centre of a multi-faith effort to welcome the refugees to Scotland, and says the Congolese have settled in well because the people of Motherwell have responded with great warmth and compassion.

"They (local people] organised welcome packs that included toys for the children, clothes for the babies, scarves, gloves and coats and household essentials like washing-up liquid, towels, sheets and so on. We even managed to source a local shop selling African food which had supplies ready for the families when they arrived," the priest says.

The refugees, he adds, are now very much part of the community with some regulars to his church.

Full story at The Scotsman.