There's Something About Mary

Jewahina Nasser faced a bleak future when she fled to Britain after her husband was killed in troubled Sudan.

Luckily she was able to move into a London & Quadrant Supported Living home with friendly Mary Ryan and the smile is back on her face.

Mary had lived alone in her L&Q SL home in Finsbury Park, North London, for four years after spending a year stuck in a hostel in King’s Cross.

When she found out Jewahina would be sharing her flat, she welcomed her with open arms and the pair have forged an unlikely friendship.

Jewahina speaks very little English, but thanks to Mary’s patience she is getting to grips with her new way of life.
Mary said: “I am from Limerick in Ireland and having moved from there to London I know all about finding yourself in a completely different culture.”

“It’s nice to have Jewahina for company and the language barrier isn’t really a problem because we’ve got our own sign language, and I’m teaching her bits of English all the time.

“We swap stories about my Irish culture and her African background, I’ve been teaching her about the laws of the land here and I’ve taken her to get her housing benefit sorted out.

“We cook together and she has made me some of her typical dishes, but most of them are far too hot for me!

“People might think we have nothing in common, but we laugh, joke, and watch television together. She’s a real friend.”

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