36/365: Mo Arekat in Dublin 8

I met Mo Arekat in the Fumbally Cafe where he works as a chef and instantly I realise that he is a bit of a local celebrity. Everyone has a big hello and hugs for him as we wander through the busy cafe on his day off. He is well loved in his new community and that feeling is truly reciprocated. Mo is bursting to tell me his story, but not the one you may think of when you meet a Palestinian/Jordanian asylum seeker, he wants to tell me about his amazing new Irish family. The people who rescued him from sleeping on the streets and the extended community who have surrounded and supported him since.Mo landed in Ireland on a cold February day, he registered as an asylum seeker and was handed a tent. He had been sleeping on the streets for two weeks when he met some outreach volunteers. These people saw him for what he was, a young man of just 22, in need of help. He was terrified, with no money and no where to go.The volunteers offered to house Mo for a few days while he recovered from a cold. “They welcomed me into their home. Not as a refugee, not as a case number. As a family. We shared dinners and they’d ask how my day was. Those small, ordinary moments did something powerful. They made me feel safe.” Mo got along so well with the family and their kids they invited him to stay for as long as he needed and until he got himself truly settled. The young man who sits before me today is eloquent and witty. He has the same cheeky charm of many Irish men I’ve met before, so I’m surprised to hear he didn’t speak any english only two years prior when he arrived. Hearing that Mo was rescued by absolute angels on the streets of Ireland and welcomed wholeheartedly by the Fumbally community gives me an enormous amount of pride. It also leaves me very saddened to know that there must be so many more people like him, clutching a tent, who simply want to be safe, to contribute and to belong. As I tuck into Mo’s incredible carrot and tomato soup today, I overhear the table next to us raving about the food “the chefs here are amazing” and I agree.Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.x RSin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.