Wonder, a Zimbabwean refugee living in the Manchester area, had to flee his home country seven years ago after he became a target for refusing to take part in a political rally. He was granted refugee status in 2009, but yearned to see the wife and two young children he’d been forced to leave behind.

And finally, thanks to the help of the Red Cross’ refugee services, his dearest wish came true.
The Red Cross helps reunite families who have been separated around the world and, in some cases, can help pay travel costs for refugees whose families live overseas and have been granted a visa to come to the UK.

A dream come true

Wonder and his family are reunited©InfoAnd so it was that Wonder found himself standing in Manchester airport as his wife, Lilian, and two children Rejoice (17) and Reward (13) flew in to be reunited with him.

A jubilant Wonder said: “Thanks to the Red Cross, I’ve got my family back. They were so young when I left and now they are grown. I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to them before because I had to leave in a great hurry. Now I feel like I’m dreaming. I never thought this would be possible.

“It’s good to live in a peaceful country, where people are treated equally and we are not harassed.”

Wonder is currently taking social care courses at college and hopes to find work helping older people and children in the future. Not surprisingly, he’s also interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer.