Asmeret Tesfazghi
Despite losing her homeland and her father, Asmeret Tesfazghi considers herself
a lucky woman. After fleeing the war-torn African country of Eritrea in 1989, Asmeret
and her mother Letina arrived in London with Letina's other children - an older
son and daughter - to seek refuge.
Since then, the family have built a new life in the UK and have been fostering vulnerable
teenagers for the past three years.
Letina and Asmeret became a fostering team after Asmeret's older brother and sister
left home when she was only 22.
Asmeret, now 25, shares the responsibilities and duties of looking after the teenagers
with her mum, and uses her experiences of trauma and loss to connect with the children.
She has always wanted to give something back to the young people in the UK and fostering
means she can help provide a stable and caring home in which teens can start a new
life.
Asmeret constantly puts the foster children before herself and, in doing so, has
sacrificed the type of social life other girls her age enjoy. She is currently looking
after a young boy and girl.