Kazima The Dumping Ground: I'm...

'Attention! The My Life In Care videos

'are about to receive their world premiere in the TV room.

'Don't miss these personal takes

'on what life is really like in Ashdene Ridge.

'And next up, it's Kazima.'

-I don't want to.

-Come on, Kaz. Everyone else is watching theirs.

I don't need to watch mine. I already know what happens.

That's not the point and you know it.

Please?

For me?

-OK, I'll watch it...

-Yay!

-..but you can't make me enjoy it.

-OK.

I am Kazima Tako.

I was born in a country in Africa called Somalia,

which is very hot and very beautiful.

While I was little life there was hard, but good.

But then a lot of bad things happened

and I eventually ended up here in the Dumping Ground.

Oh, spare us the whole sob story, will you?

You heartless pig.

I won't lie.

I have seen many things I wish I hadn't seen

and I know it has changed the way I am.

I used to be the kind of kid you couldn't stop talking.

But now I try not to give too much away.

Do your parents even know where you are tonight?

Right, I think I should have a word with them.

-You can't.

-Imagine if something bad had happened to you, eh?

How do you think your parents would feel?

And when you don't know who you can trust,

you learn to value your own company.

I like being alone. Not that it's easy in this place.

I like it here.

My own space.

Mike and May-Li aren't going to let you sleep in here, are they?

If they find out.

So, when the chance comes for a bit of quiet time by yourself,

you have to make the most of it.

RADIO CRACKLES

Hello? Hello?

Anyone there?

Thought not.

Sweet, sweet, peace and quiet.

Some people, though...

find it hard to understand I am a private person.

Kaz, are you in trouble?

Of course not.

Kaz, they send everyone for these age assessment tests.

Are you really 14?

How can you even say that?

-You know nothing about me.

-Exactly!

Tell me something, anything... Kaz!

'People are always saying that I should join in more,

'but when I do, those people are usually the first to complain.'

-You can't see.

-Shh!

Maybe you need your eyes tested.

Maybe you should get your nose tested, for being too pokey.

-ALL:

-Shh!

'And when I do speak, I speak the truth.

'The trouble is that sometimes

'the truth is the last thing people want to hear.'

-What is that?

-That is Tee's artwork and my ticket to a fancy night out.

We're going to the opening night.

Whatever it is, it's most definitely not art, in my opinion.

Excuse me?

Sorry, Picasso - what do you mean, that's not art?

-Art - real art - is about something.

-Bo-ring...

No, this is boring - safe.

Real artists take risks, stand out.

An artist's work will be empty if the artist is empty -

if they have nothing to say.

My friends?

I wouldn't say that there's anyone in the Dumping Ground

who is not a friend.

There may be the odd one who is annoying,

but they're all good people at heart.

Annoying?

Bit harsh.

Yeah, I wonder who she could mean(?) Tyler.

I mean, if there's anybody annoying in this place,

I've never met them.

There are two friends from this place I am especially close to.

The first one is my roommate, Carmen.

We're very different as people, but we usually rub along pretty well.

Well, you know me.

"Easy-going" is my middle name.

I thought your middle name was Flor...

Ooh, what's this bit coming up?

I think it was my jokes that brought us together.

-I don't like these pillows.

-OK.

Well, we can change them, if you want.

Do you have any stones?

Big, flat, hard stones?

Joking.

I do love your jokes! Now, that is funny.

My other great friend is Frank.

He's the type who will drop everything

for a friend who needs help.

Unless he's hungry,

or sleepy,

or Man U are on the TV.

But you get the basic point I'm making.

He's a proper friend.

Thank you for this.

No problem. Stay as long as you want.

DOORBELL RINGS

-Already?

-Who is it?

It's me, Mike.

Is Kazima there?

No, um... No.

Come on, let us in!

I lost the key!

Yes, Frank would do anything to cover a mate's back.

Frank?

-Hide.

-Where?

'So it's a real shame that he's so terrible at it.'

I'm coming in.

What's that smell?

Smell?

Perfume.

Oh, yeah. My...new aftershave.

Feminine Mystique, by Belle de la Mort.

-Is that what the lads are wearing nowadays?

-Yeah.

So, there you go. Frank Matthews -

a fantastic friend, but a rubbish liar.

OK, next one.

What's my thing?

That's an interesting one.

I suppose I'm quite into art. I like making stuff.

What do you think?

-It's for Johnny.

-Er...yeah, it's great.

And I love cooking.

You two, get chopping.

'When you've been hungry, you really learn to appreciate food.'

Here. You get yours free.

'But what I really, really love...'

Did you get the ice cream cones?

Er...yeah.

-What are they for, anyway?

-You'll see.

'..is to be able to combine the two...'

That's weird.

Harry will like it.

CHEERING

'..with food that looks great too.'

So, there's good-looking food and then there's music.

TROMBONE PLAYS: Hall Of The Mountain King

There were loads of musicians in my family back in Somalia,

and to hear an instrument played well is a magical thing.

I love that.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Although that magic doesn't always work, of course.

TROMBONE HONKS

I came down here to get away from you!

All I wanted was some peace and quiet.

-So do I.

-Oh, funny(!)

Was I really that bad?

Worse.

I'm sorry.

I just thought that maybe this could be something I could do.

-You're doing it wrong.

-Sorry?

You need to do it properly. You're not even holding it right.

Give it to me. 'Yes, music means a lot to me.

'In a way, that's kind of sad-happy.'

It's my dad.

He's a musician.

-He plays trombone?

-The trumpet, too.

That's how I know.

-And he taught you to play?

-He was going to,

but then some of his friends who were in the band, they...

disappeared.

"Disappeared"? What, they just ran off?

They were killed, Tyler. Because they made music.

OK. Time to change the subject.

I'm not someone who rants about things.

I try to keep calm.

After all, getting wound up about things that annoy you

is just a waste of energy.

But there's one thing that really does make me angry

and that is when people don't trust me.

You're searching my stuff? You think I'm the thief.

-I'm doing everyone's room.

-But you came here first.

You're the pickpocket.

-And I can never forget that.

-Not my fault.

'Even the nice ones cannot forget my past.'

Kazima.

-The homeless girl?

-Yeah.

-The thief?

You know that she only stole because she had to.

And what if she decides she has to have my stuff?

-Mike, you're asking me to share my room with a criminal.

-No.

'It's as if I can never escape from some of the things I've done.'

Hello, again.

'And there's no getting away from the fact that I was good at it.'

She tried saying it was her watch.

We just want to talk to you.

No English. PHONE CAMERA CLICKS

No photo!

Look, if you're not going to tell us, we'll just ask around.

-Yeah, maybe the police will know.

-No photo. No police.

You OK?

-What happened?

-I think you just fainted.

Rick!

It's fine.

It's fine. I've got a photo of her face on my phone.

Yeah, she's good.

'But even when things are going well, it's always there -

'the worry that someone is going to start raking it all up again.'

We had over 100,000 signatures.

This is amazing.

We've even had messages from celebrities and stuff.

Yeah, we've had literally thousands of e-mails.

-What's wrong?

-Nothing. You don't want to see.

-Let me see.

-No, Kaz, you don't want to...

-Let me see.

Kaz!

I'm sorry.

I don't understand.

How could they know?

'OK, I did do those things and it was wrong.

'But who are others to judge?'

What would you have done if you were in my shoes?

So...next subject.

It's funny.

I have faced up to a lot of frightening things and come through.

But there is one thing I haven't been able to beat,

although I've been able to hide it.

I'm really sorry about this, Kazima.

But they only gave us so many tickets

-and what with finances being the way they are...

-It's OK, Mike.

Are you sure that you're not just saying that?

-Cos we can always rethink who's going...

-It's OK. 100%.

Oh, thank you. The others will be very pleased to hear that.

That's very grown-up of you, thank you.

'Yes, I am terrified of heights.

'I was so pleased to avoid the theme park that time.

'And I thought my secret was safe,

'until Tee and I got cornered in the attic by a pair of proper thieves.

'They didn't steal to survive. They were greedy.

'There was only one way to escape.

'That was when it all came out.'

We'll climb into the roof. There's a drainpipe we can shimmy down.

No.

If you're right,

they're going to tear this place apart looking for that money -

-including the attic, eventually.

-I said no.

-But I think we can reach it...

-No, OK? No! I'm not going out there.

-Kaz, this could be our only chance.

-You go, then.

Not without you. Come on, I know we can do this. Move.

Let go, let go!

I don't like heights.

-You what?

-Why do you think I didn't want to go on the trip?

They go on these rides that are miles high - miles!

'But just round the corner was a real nightmare.'

One that I would climb the tallest ladder ever, blindfolded,

with my hands tied behind my back to avoid.

As you can see, your date of birth has been assessed as 1997.

What?

We know this girl. There's no way she's 18 years old.

So you will no longer be treated

as an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child...

This is outrageous...

..which means you no longer have an automatic right to remain in the UK.

Do you understand what I've just said?

Do you know what it means?

Yes.

You're sending me back to Somalia.

'I have never felt so alone or frightened as I did then.

'I didn't know who to turn to, so I went on the run.

-'I kept trying to keep a clear head and ask myself...'

-Kazima? Kazima!

'"What would my dad do?"

'I didn't have to wait long to ask him.'

Abo?

Dad?

-SHE SOBS I'm sorry, Abo.

-Shh...

Don't be sad today.

Today is a happy day.

Today is a wonderful day.

Dad was right.

That was the most wonderful day of my life.

And now that I know he's OK, that makes every day better.

I know I'm lucky to be here and safe.

So many people are not.

So even on bad days, for me, life is great.