Two teenagers have shared their extraordinary stories of fleeing civil war and crossing continents to reach safety in Wales. Khlif Alramadan, 18, from Syria, and Samuel Tadesse, 18, from Eritrea, are now in their final year at Cathays High School in Cardiff after enduring perilous journeys as unaccompanied minors.
Khlif left Syria at age 16 to avoid forced conscription into government forces or insurgent groups. He crossed nine countries in 10 months, including a dangerous boat trip from Turkey to Greece and a harrowing walk through Macedonia. He was rescued from a sinking inflatable dinghy while crossing the English Channel. During his journey, he learned that his father had died.
Samuel fled Eritrea at age 13 and spent four years traveling through two continents. He arrived in Britain hidden in a lorry delivering building materials. He witnessed the deaths of friends along the way and desperately misses his siblings left behind.
Both teenagers are now part of a special programme at Cathays High School that helps newly arrived young refugees learn English and adjust to their new lives. Their teacher, Amanda Portlock-White, said they were traumatised when they arrived and that scars remain.
Khlif dreams of training to be a mechanic and living in peace. Samuel hopes to build a future in Wales, far from the violence and uncertainty of his past.
