Hogarth Smith

Hogarth first met T in 2019 when he became his keyworker. T was a refugee who had previously spent ten years being supported in various places where not much was known about him. He had no form of identity or documentation and said he had no recollection about himself, any relative or how he came to be supported by us. Slowly trust built between the two and thanks to Hogarth’s gentle and kind manner, T was supported to enrol in college as well as take part in various other voluntary projects and schemes. Gradually, T started to open up and told Hogarth that he came from Ethiopia and would like to visit again one day, although he said he was not sure whether he would be able to trace his family. The major obstacle was that he had no birth certificate and no passport.

Thanks to Hogarth’s support and determination, T was able to trace someone in his past that knew him when he was back in Ethiopia and gradually documentation was filed for his Nationalisation. On the 26th of September 2023, T was invited to Lambeth Town Hall with 79 other people for the Nationalisation Ceremony.