Semere, now just turned 40, has lived as a refugee from Eritrea in Wales for some time. He works for the Welsh Refugee Council, an independent charity empowering refugees to rebuild their lives, and is a member of Bethel Community Church in Newport.

Semere's chruch supports refugees that have been joining its congregation in a number of ways. They support and befriend them as part of a Christian community. They try to help asylum seekers who are Christians and need to explain that to officialdom. They educate refugees about Wales - including trips to St. Fagans - and offer them food and clothing. They write letters in support of local cases.

In addition, Semere has set up an initiative to provide parenting classes. The aim is to help refugee families understand the way British families work, and support them as they cope with the stress of relocation - sometimes into difficult accomodation.

The first event was held in Bethel Community Church, with support from Gwent Police to cover training and travel costs [arranged with help from Gweini's Jim Stewart]. Semere was able to find a qualified person, born and raised in Britain, who is fluent in two languages, Tigrinya and Amharic, most commonly spoken in Eritrea. The feedback was very positive. A similar event is being planned for Cardiff as soon as resources are available to cover the costs. The plan is to extend these courses as widely as possible, opening them to the whole refugee community, including those who do not go to church.