A day in the life of a refugee-turned-advocate, a guest post by Muzoon Almellehan

At 3 am – prayer time: during summer time I wake up on the calling for prayer sound and to perform Fajr prayer (dawn time prayer is the first prayer between the 5 prayers that Muslims have to perform on a daily basis at different times a day). After I wake up, I do the washing, put on the prayer clothes, then I pray. I usually recite verses of the holy Quran after performing my prayer and read some supplications. This gives me comfort and satisfaction and I feel so empowered, then I go back to sleep again for about 3 hours.

At 6 am, get ready for work: I wake up again at the sound of the alarm. I personally hate the sound of the alarm and really try to snooze it as much as I can; however, I have to wake up for work as I have to be ready by 7 am to leave my house to work. I wash my face and brush my teeth, I dry my face and spray a face mist, then I put on a moisturizer and a sunscreen as it is extremely essential for protecting my skin, After that I wear a natural makeup— a concealer under eye, mascara, and a lip balm and a natural lipstick colour.

At 6:30 am – a coffee time: It is essential for me to have coffee to start an energetic day. I don’t like to have a breakfast. I know this is not a good habit, however I do not like to eat in the morning unless it’s something light such as an apple.

At 7 am, drive from home to my workplace: It takes me about 30 minutes to get to where I work with the local government to support asylum seekers, migrants and refugees in the area who are new in the UK and have less knowledge and lack of experiences about the life in the UK and how the system works, so they need guidance to get the right support. In my role, I enjoy giving families hope and making them happy. I feel that I make a direct positive impact in their lives to start a new life. Many asylum seekers and refugees’ families are Arabic speakers, so I help them with interpretation and I support the team at the local government with interpretation very often. Families are very appreciative for my support and this makes me overjoyed. I admit, this role is very intense and challenging at times; however, most of the time I am grateful and appreciated for helping others and learning new things every day.

 At 9 am, arrive at work: I usually start the work day checking emails and chatting with colleagues about advice about complex issues. Dealing with different immigration statuses in the UK is really hard and every case is different. I also like to joke with my colleagues and we have so much fun even at the busiest times – my colleagues are very nice and supportive.

At 12:30, have lunch: at this time, I take my lunch. During lunch I sit with my colleagues or I check my phone and social media to see the latest updates and read news, even though I am not as active on social media as I used before.

At 1 pm – busy time at work: in the afternoon time we usually have meetings and make visits to the families that we are supporting as most of the things that we assist them with need to be done face to face. I also do one of the prayers in the afternoon at my workplace.

At 5 pm, conclude the work day: by this time, I feel exhausted and I drive back home. Usually the traffic at this time is very bad and it is a bit awkward to stop a lot because of the traffic, however, I pass by many trees and nice fields, so it makes my journey very interesting.

At 6 pm, back home:  around this time I get changed and then I do the specific washing for the prayer and then I perform the third prayer in Islam called Asr prayer. Soon after that I go and eat something light and try to take a nap.

At 7 pm, it is still day in the summer, which works for my benefit for exercise. I love walking for at least 30 minutes between the green fields and trees. I like to walk with one of my siblings, so we chat about our day.

At 7:30 pm – 9 pm, I use this time to learn something new, follow up regarding my advocacy work, and plan for things related to my activities as an activist.

At 9:30, by this time I again do pre-prayer washing and then I perform Maghrib prayer as this is its time during summer. Then after that I get some rest and spend some time with my family.

At 11 pm, I get ready for sleeping and performing the last prayer of the day called Isha prayer. Then I follow a simple skin care routine, and then I finish off by reading some verses of the Quarn and make some supplications to end my day happily and positively. When I go to sleep, I usually am extremely tired so I fall into sleep quickly.

Meet the author

MUZOON ALMELLEHAN is an internationally recognized activist for education, refugees, and the rights of girls and women. She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, the first with official refugee status. She was named one of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year and one of Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21. Muzoon has spoken in front of the United Nations General Assembly and at the G20 Summit in Germany, among several other distinguished audiences, and presented a TEDxTeen Talk called “The Future of Syria Depends on One Thing.” Angela Merkel, Bill Clinton, and Malala Yousafzai are among the supporters of Muzoon and her important work. Muzoon now lives in Newcastle, England, with her family, and is a graduate of Newcastle University.

About Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out by Muzoon Almellehan with Wendy Pearlman

“Muzoon takes readers on her perilous and ultimately hopeful journey from refugee child to advocate for others in need.”
—Malala Yousafzai, bestselling author and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

When her family had to flee Syria, 14-year-old Muzoon was told to pack only the most essential things—and so she packed her schoolbooks.

This is the inspiring true story of a Syrian refugee who fought hard for what she needed—and grew into one of the world’s leading advocates for education.

This eye-opening memoir tells the story of a young girl’s life in Syria, her family’s wrenching decision to leave their home, and the upheaval of life in a refugee camp. Though her life had utterly changed, one thing remained the same. She knew that education was the key to a better future—for herself, and so that she could help her country. She went from tent to tent in the camp, trying to convince other kids, especially girls, to come to school. And her passion and dedication soon had people calling her the “Malala of Syria.”
 Muzoon has grown into an internationally recognized advocate for refugees, for education, and for the rights of girls and women, and is now a UNICEF goodwill ambassador—the first refugee to play that role.
 Muzoon’s story is absolutely riveting and will inspire young readers to use their own voices and stand up for what they believe in.

ISBN-13: 9781984851987
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Publication date: 05/23/2023
Age Range: 10 – 13 Years

Filed under: Guest Post