My name is Ahmed*, and I am 24 years old. Two of my favourite things are writing poetry and arts and crafts – I like to knit, not fight. Before the war in Syria, I was a civil engineer in a small town just outside of Damascus, and I also volunteered with the Red Crescent, helping others. I am quite shy so I spent a lot of time with my family, whom I miss very much.

My best friend was forcibly conscripted to fight for government forces earlier this year – he did not want to go as the army kills many thousands of innocent people, but he was sent somewhere very dangerous and killed in battle. I think about him every day. After his death, my mother and father made the decision to send me to Europe. My family did not come with me as my parents are too old to make such a hard journey.

When I left Syria, I didn’t know what to expect. I speak fluent English and good German so I knew I would be able to communicate, but I wasn’t sure what would happen to me. The Turkish people smugglers were very aggressive and they had lots of guns, but one of the worst parts of my journey was getting the boat to Greece. I had heard many stories of boats capsizing and people drowning so I was very frightened I would die. When we arrived on the shores of Lesvos, people were very kind to us, especially at the transit area.

I gave the volunteers bracelets as a gift of friendship, but before we could travel further into Europe we had to go to register and get our papers, and it was horrible – I had to stay awake and stand in line for 36 hours. I was so tired and scared of the police, but when I finally left I was very happy.

I travelled through Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Austria and then Germany, and the journey was hard and cold, but I liked watching the landscapes change – every country in Europe is so different. One day I would like to go back to these places as a tourist and have tea with the friends I made along the way. I also really want to visit Stratford-upon-Avon to see the place where Shakespeare wrote his wonders.

I am now in Germany, and I like it because it’s peaceful and everything is so punctual and accurate. My dream is to improve my German, to be safe and to fall in love.

*Name has been changed. Story told to Peggy Whitfield from Starfish