This week as part of Mental Health Awareness Week and Million Acts of Hope , we’re sharing Aziz’s powerful and hopeful story.
Soon after arriving in Islington from Sudan, Aziz took part in Common Ground, an All Change programme for people seeking sanctuary in Islington.
Aziz wrote his poem: ‘I Still Rise From the Fire’, after taking part. The poem references difficult themes from his experiences of the war back home in Sudan, but also aspirations of hope and freedom moving forward.
An except from the poem reads:
“War tried to silence me. But I found my voice. Now I live far from home, but my heart still remembers. Freedom is heavy, yet I carry it with pride. Because even far from home, I still rise.”
In November, he performed it at an open-mic poetry night in Caledonian Road, which he won. He performed the poem again at a “Borough of Sanctuary” celebration event at the Union Chapel.
“Writing the poem, I just decided to think about everything in my life, and write it down. My life in Sudan was difficult. It’s better for me to share my story and to talk about things like this, to express some difficult emotions but in a creative way…”
All Change – supported and funded by Islington Giving – delivers world-class arts projects led by local communities, bringing together people experiencing inequality and discrimination to collaborate with artists on creative work that makes a lasting positive difference.
This is a summarised version of the full article by Finn Logue, Islington Tribune April 2026.
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