THREE refugees from Africa are wheeling their way to success, thanks to help from YMCA workers.

Last month Mohammed Yesuf, 26, from Ethiopia and Eritreans Howard Berihu, 31, and Samir Surer, 30, opened the Alfa garage in St Peter Street, Blackburn, determined to show they are committed to working in the community.

Mohammed arrived as a refugee in Britain in 2004, with Howard and Samir coming in 2005. They met at the YMCA drop-in centre in Wellington Street, Blackburn, which offers advice to refugees and asylum seekers.

Mohammed said: “There were a lot of disputes and conflicts in our home countries and we left in the hope of starting a new life elsewhere.

“At first I was not allowed to work, so I called in at the YMCA and they helped me to contact the Home Office and to enrol on an English language course.

”The people there have helped us all the way through and have always supported us.”

The three men became friends and realised that they all shared skills in car maintainence and repairs.

In 2010, when papers came through allowing them to work in Britain, the YMCA helped them to enrol on a Blackburn College course for tyre fitting and bodyshop work.

Howard added: “The course was very good and we all enjoyed it.

“Now we can provide a range of services for the people of Blackburn and we hope they can support us.

“We like Blackburn because the people are friendly, everything we need is close by, and it is not too busy.

“In places like London there is too much traffic and busy crowds.”

Mohammed added: “We are pleased to be working and to be contributing to society. I like it here in Blackburn, I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

John East, of Blackburn’s YMCA, said: “I have been working with them for a long time and have been encouraging them into work.

“We have put them in touch with the right people and I’m delighted they have made a good start in a difficult situation.

“It has proved that refugees want to work in the community and don’t just want to be on benefits.”