'I was lucky': the asylum seeker campaigning for others to learn Welsh

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/06/i-was-lucky-the-asylum-seeker-campaigning-for-others-to-learn-welsh,

With a nod to our own @Deborah-SSi.

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Deborah’s done fantastic work to get the SSiW side of this partnership up and running - diolch o galon i ti, Deborah :star: :star2: :heart:

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I had the pleasure of speaking with Joseff (yn Gymraeg) on the Cymdeithas yr Iaith stand at the Eisteddfod last year. Me with my faltering, tentantive first steps, he fluently and kindly encouraging me. He was a complete inspiration, both in terms of how quickly he’d learnt, his passion for this lovely country and desire to find out more about it and his humility. I thought, if he can do it then so can I. I too have been warmly embraced by the lovely Welsh (and English) people in my village and beyond, encouraged to learn the hen iaith and supported when feeling pretty useless. Wales is the most amazing place I’ve lived because the people make it so. We all need to play our part in encoraging others to see the benefit of learning Welsh and keep the momentum going. It is changing my life and introducing me to new people, places and activities I never dreamed of doing before moving here. Refugees like Joseff need all the support they can get to help them settle into their new homland and rebuild their lives.

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Joseff has also appeared on the S4C series ‘Am Dro’, where each week each of four participants in different parts of Wales take the others for a walk in their local areas then award points, very lightheartedly, for the quality of the walk, lunch provided and so forth, to see who comes out on top. Joseff Oscar, as he introduced himself, took them round Cardiff Bay, the area he knows, then to the refugee centre for lunch. I think the series has now come to an end, but it’s still possible to catch this episode on Clic: https://www.s4c.cymru/clic/programme/805526128 .

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Yes, so did I, and as you say he’s truly an inspiration. He was talking with Aled Hughes on Radio Cymru the other day and you can listen to it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08s92vb?at_medium=custom7&at_campaign=64&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom4=A1207FFC-FDB4-11EA-AE13-D719933C408C&at_custom3=%40BBCRadioCymru

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Thank you for the link. How heart-warming that Josef wanted to learn Cymraeg and had such a poitive attitude. He is clearly a very talented linguist. I am not (!!!) but I was pleased I could understand most of the interview.

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