Story: Sheena Clarke
When they arrived in 2005, Alpha Mbodi and his two sons, Aimé and Junior, believed they had escaped the horrors of the civil war that was devastating the North Kivu region of DR Congo.
They settled in Burngreave and started to rebuild their lives. Now their prospect of a safe future has been shattered by the threat of deportation, they are asking people to support their campaign to be allowed to stay here.
Family left behind
After being targeted by government soldiers, Alpha Mbodi managed to escape with his two sons. Tragically, in the confusion and chaos, they became separated from his wife and daughter.
Although extremely traumatised, the family has integrated well into the local community. As active members of Sheffield Community Church (part of the Faith Ministries UK Churches, a registered charity), Alpha does voluntary work with troubled teenagers and families. His elder son, Aimé, attends Firth Park Community Arts College, where he expects to get good results in his GCSEs this year, while Junior is doing well at King Edward VII School. Both boys are very popular at school and in their church where they are active members of the youth group, Fresh Kids. Aimé is a talented footballer and plays for two football teams while Junior plays in a basketball team and is a keen athlete.
Jailed for working
Last year Alpha was jailed for working in a low-paid cleaning job without a work permit. While he realises that he should not have been working, he felt his first obligation was to provide for his family. He paid heavily, with a prison sentence and separation from his sons who were cared for by church friends. You can support the Mbodi family by signing their online petition at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/familymbodi/
Or you can write to the Home Secretary using the model letter on https://archive.burngreavemessenger.org.uk/archives/april-2009-news/alpha-mbodi/