RMC gave Jala the safe space to tell his story and to share his remarkable history with us. Now rebuilding his life in Birmingham, he hopes to reconnect with his lost family again and to start a new business in construction. Jala’s story illustrates the importance of Safeguarding.
Support needed for those within the system
People who migrate have to navigate a new system amid significant challenges, including (for most) English as a second language and widespread misinformation online. For RMC, it is particularly important to protect those we serve from exploitation, including modern day slavery and scams. Through the work we provide we can help people understand their rights, protect their personal information and be aware where to seek support in emergencies. RMC’s open-door approach ensures that some of our communities most vulnerable people can access support quickly, particularly when they are unable to engage with other services or when their needs are too complex for existing support providers to address. RMC have a dedicated Safeguarding team onsite to help people who need extra, specialised support.
Jala, was part of an RMC project for recently granted individuals. The project involves an initial assessment, where we have time to build a rapport and help understand the individual’s needs. In this way we can successfully help people outline their path forward. For Jala this meant sharing his trauma and his story of repeated triumph over adversity, as a way of moving forward to a brighter future.
Working hard through adversity
Jala is a quiet gentleman: his demeanour is one of grace and elegance. He takes pride in his appearance, with his blazer carefully chosen and perfectly fitted.
Jala, who was born in 1975, was just eighteen months old when civil war forced his family to flee Sudan for Darfur. His mother was a Christian from South Sudan, while his father served in the military in North Sudan. When they reached the military camp, his mother was refused entry because of her faith, and Jala’s life changed forever.
Growing up with his father and his father’s new wife, Jala experienced considerable hardship on their farm. He regularly walked nine kilometres to fetch water before being able to eat, and endured abuse from a family member. Despite these challenges, Jala, who is clever, was eager to learn. He excelled at school academically, though he faced bullying from teachers and classmates because of his South Sudanese heritage. He was obliged to leave school at the age of thirteen, due to economic hardship, and began to earn money for his family by selling nick-nacks on the streets. Jala learned English from the radio which he used in work and to run errands for the local aid organisations and charities, in exchange for flour and other food.
As a teenager, he began an apprenticeship in construction with a friend of his father’s, to whom he was able to disclose the trauma he had experienced. Financial pressures meant he could not complete his training, but he remained determined to build a better future.
A dollar a day to business manager
His life took another difficult turn when his family sent him to a religious institution for eight years where he was very unhappy, before they obtained his release.
Determined to start again, Jala travelled to Libya, where he met three Syrian brothers working in construction. They recognised his determination and taught him the trade. Beginning on just one dollar a day, he worked twelve to fourteen hour days, eventually managing the business within four years. When the brothers returned to Syria in 1994, they entrusted the company to him. Over the following ten years, he built a successful construction business, owned several apartment buildings and even worked on the construction of a prince’s palace.
For the first time in his life, Jala had security and independence.
Sold into slavery before finally escaping
Then conflict erupted in Libya. As violence spread, Africans became targets of persecution, and many were killed. Once again, Jala was forced to flee, leaving behind everything he had built. Although financially successful, he remained stateless and unable to own property in his own name. Returning to Sudan, he purchased a home and two shops through family members before war forced him to flee yet again, to Chad.
In Chad, Jala began working for a humanitarian organisation supporting people affected by the crisis. His commitment led to training opportunities in Italy and France, where he learned how to respond to natural disasters and support vulnerable communities. Eventually, in 2005, he settled in France, where he spent about fifteen years working with Erasmus France, but in 2020 he lost his job.
In 2025 Jala was placed in another dangerous situation, he was sold into slavery in Libya for several months. He then escaped and made his way to the UK, seeking safety.
Over the years, Jala attempted family reconciliation but communication with his mother was difficult due to the language barrier. He did, however, discover eight brothers born to his parents over the years. His sister Sara has since been able to facilitate video calls between Jala and his mother by translating for them. His dream is to earn enough money in the UK to be able to travel to Egypt to attend his sister’s forthcoming wedding, where he will be able to meet his mother in person and see the brothers born after him for the first time.
Jala was grateful to be able to share his story as this was the first time he had told it in full. He continues to receive personalised support from RMC to achieve his dreams and build a stable life in the UK. His story highlights the importance of safeguarding, as experiences such as displacement, poverty and isolation can increase vulnerability to harm or exploitation.
Through our safeguarding work, RMC helps identify risks early and ensures people can access the support and protection they need.
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