Love Blossoms In The 'Jungle' For Chiswick Charity Worker

Sarah Gayton to marry Syrian law student she met while helping migrants

A Chiswick woman is to marry a Syrian law student who she met while helping a group deliver food parcels to a refugee camp in Calais.

Sarah Gayton (41) fell in love with Hamoude Kahlil (25) who fled the city of Aleppo in Syria two years ago.

Sarah, a management consultant, was galvanised into action when she saw media reports of the desperate plight of the people living in the camps. She appealed on the chiswickw4.com forum for help with donations and decided to go over herself and help out as a volunteer.

She came together with others who formed a group, 'Calais and Beyond' making up food boxes to deliver directly to those in need. They brought basics such as rice, oil, cleaning materials and hand sanitizer, purchased from wholesalers with donations from the public, and travelled over last September. People can still donate to Help Refugees who run the warehouse in Calais, along with L'Auberge des Migrants -they also support refugees all over the world.

The pair met while Sarah was volunteering in the 'Jungle' camp in the French port and Hamoude was helping as a translator. He then arrived in the UK unexpectedly having jumped on a lorry and hidden inside and has been given leave to remain for five years.

A former management consultant, Sarah quit her job shortly after meeting her now fiance and returned to volunteer in Calais. They are now living in Chiswick and planning their wedding.

Sarah said she was not looking for love at the time but is now very happy.

October 5, 2016