New City College student Mohammad Golkar is determined to make a success of his life in London after fleeing Iran as a refugee.
At the tender age of 18 he has already experienced extreme hardship and fear that many of us will never have to face.
But now – just a year after arriving in the UK – he is thriving on his ESOL course at New City College Tower Hamlets and has a part-time job on a market stall that has boosted his confidence and given him the opportunity to meet new people and practise his English language skills.
With his bright and cheerful demeanour, Mohammad is popular with staff and other students at college and is a firm favourite with regulars to Camberwell Green Market where he works for Breadwinners, running their fresh sourdough bread stall.
Breadwinners is a not-for-profit social enterprise and charity which gives young refugees their first job and supports them into further work experience and employment.
Mohammad was a political activist against the regime in Iran and as well as the risks to his safety, there were few opportunities to get an education or a job. So, he made the difficult decision to leave his homeland.