Henadzi Sarana

I am originally from Belarus. I left my country because of the political issues, at the time there were many protests, so I came to the UK on my own as a refugee with the idea of making a better life for my family. I’ve been here for more than 3 years my daughter is here, and my wife is still in Belarus. 

Before I came to WAES I completed my bachelor’s in economics and master’s in physics in Belarus.  I worked in a bank branch for more than 20 years I was the director of the credit and investment and a deputy chairman of the board. I had studied French in secondary but no English. It was evident that coming into the country I needed to speak the language if I wanted to socialise and start a new life from scratch as well as start a job.

I really enjoyed speaking to my classmates, I made a lot of friends. I enjoyed the class activities and discussions especially the Green live learning lab topics. It was an important period of my life. The tutors at have so much patience to listen to you and make sure you understand what it is being taught. I found some of the learning challenging especially the exam but again the tutors really help you prepare.

My greatest achievement at WAES is completing my Level 1 Award in Bookkeeping and Payroll for Business and Level 1 Upper intermediate ESOL (Writing) course.  Completing my ESOL course has open doors for me in terms of finding work. I am now working in gardening. The hiring manager really approved of me being part of the Green Live Learning Lab project. I received help with my CV in the classroom at the start but the more confident I became I was able to draft my CV multiple times myself.  

If you’re looking to start a new life in the UK then WAES is the place to be. Everyone is very friendly and patient. They’ll take timeout to understand how they can help you progress on your next steps.