I was 8 year old - me, my mum and my 5 siblings arrived with a plane to a snow white covered Stockholm one day in February. It was first time we saw snow, it was cold and we was not clothed for a nordic winter. We only knew that we would soon reunion with our father that we have had not seen for a couple of years.

One night sometime in December- my mum and grandfather woke us up. They said that we have had to leave and visit our grandmother that was sick in the nearest big city. We had to hurry and being very silent and not let anyone to notice our leave. We spent that night at my grandmothers house, all grownups looked so sad and all the women wept. We left early next morning. It was a long distance journey in a vehicle to a crowded place that we´ve had never been or seen before. They took us to a "hotel" that looked miserable with no heat, food or hospitality. We(my mum, my siblings & grandfather) got one room with a very small mattress on the floor and a worn spring bed in the corner. The owner heated up the stove during the nights but not daytime. We were not allowed to go out, sometime my mum took us out to the corridors for few minutes. We spent more then one month at that "hotel". It was tough with very little to eat, sometime we got freshly baked bread, vegetables or fruits but sometime we got old bread that my grandfather probably got very cheap.

The swedish government placed us in a very small municipality in northern Sweden. They welcomed us with open arms and big hearts. We got very good guides that helped us to integrate in to the society and our new country and home. I´ve been honoured and lucky that have had great inspirational grownups around that encouraged me and my family to learn and enjoy our new home. I had a very bad start with anxiety attacks, vomiting etc but got help with it. It was very tough for me and my one year older sister, we were iliterates both of us and have had never been to a school before. My father spent two hours writing, reading lessons with us and one hour at the library while we were waiting for being placed at a municipality and a school.

I believe that no matter what you´ve been through, no matter circumstances and especially for kids that are so vulnerable and depending on inspiring grownups that encourage them to fight, stand up and never give up and that you can learn and adapt to anything no matter where you are in the world. And the most important thing to help to selfhelp and create dreams to aim for in life. I wouldn't be here today if I have had not all wonderful people around me that´ve encouraged, inspired, aroused me and my appetite for life and knowledge.

This charity project is the smallest action I can do to inspire and contribute to our great and wonderful society that we sometime forget to appreciate, feel gratitude for and our kids, grandchildren and believing in their future.

All kids need a second chance to believe in dreams and become their dreams!!!

Leyla Is, a former refugee girl that got a second chance.