Finally, a kid tells us about life in the UK

📅 Published: August 21, 2025

Curated by AllZimNews.com

Nigerians also trooped there and there were substantial arrivals from Asia.

But, while we have heard a number of adults tell their experiences, including many who were scammed by heartless individuals who promised them jobs that were not there or subjected them to tough conditions, we haven’t heard from the children who also accompanied their parents in that wave of movement.

How did they adjust to their new environments?

How did they cope at their new schools?

How did they deal with the different climate given that, for the better part of the year, the UK is usually cold.

Well, that has all changed.

One such child, Mikaylah Mushinga, has decided to document all that in a book.

The 13-year-old, who left the country in May 2022 to settle with her parents in the UK, unveiled her book at the Rainbow Towers in Harare on Tuesday evening.

It’s titled “I AM MORE THAN THE BLACK GIRL. ”It’s a fascinating read.

It’s her story – from her years back home, the first time she boarded a plane on that trip to the UK, arriving to face a different world in England, being enrolled at a new school, the challenges she faced and how she managed to adjust to her new environment.

For such a young girl, Mikaylah, who appears to have picked some of her writing skills from her father Charles Mushinga, who used to be the Deputy Editor of this newspaper, presents such a fascinating tale in which she confronts many of subjects, including sensitive ones like racism, with remarkable boldness.

She says her book is for “every girl who was seen, labelled and judged before she ever got the chance to be known. ”She urged those who find themselves in her situation not to “shrink to fit the world but let the world expand to fit your light. ”He writes in the preface:“This book was born from silence – from the moments I wanted to speak but didn’t.

From the times I felt seen and judged before I was truly known. “Writing became my way of finding a voice, of saying all the things that I couldn’t say aloud. “Every chapter in these pages carries pieces of my journey, the struggles of being different, the weight of labels, the loneliness of not fitting in but also the joy of discovering strength, friendship and pride in who I am. “I wrote this book because I believe stories can heal.

They can remind us that we are not alone.

They can turn pain into power and fear into courage. ”She added:“Most of all I wrote this for every girl who has ever felt underestimated, misnamed or misplaced in the world.