Refugee Women Connect, previously known as is a women-only charity set up to support asylum-seekers, refugees and survivors trafficking. We work together to build a life in the UK for all women in the asylum and refugee community.
MRANG, women of safe seeker
Refugee Women Connect exists because women asylum seekers and refugees face inequality and are denied social justice. Refugee and asylum-seeking women can be vulnerable and isolated, not knowing what their rights are or how to exercise those rights. Refugee women have to overcome many barriers to accessing services and support and even when asylum seeking women have been able to get support they face being moved on at short notice to another area where they have no support networks. The women engage with us at an important turning point in their lives where they have left an abusive or conflict situation and are trying to deal with the huge change to their lives that this brings about at the same time they are trying to navigate the complex asylum process.
Our current activities include an extensive outreach programme which incorporates weekly visits to Initial Accommodation Centres and weekly drop-ins where women can access a range of emotional and practical support and activities. We are also part of various multiagency drop-ins that take place across the region. With the support of our volunteers, we have been able to accompany women to appointments to offer muchneeded support and encouragement and are hoping to develop this work further in the future. In response to the increased need for mental health support, we offer self-esteem support groups and one to one emotional support. With the rise in homelessness and lack of legal support we are developing our casework, including becoming OISC accredited, to respond to the increased need for casework.
Make a Donation 100% of donations go directly to Refugee Women Direct & will help ensure their invaluable services can remain open to those who need them.
Head to @thecommonzine on Instagram and click the link at the top of our page to donate.
Hello, and thank you for picking up this zine. We are incredibly honoured to share this space with Refugee Women Connect and hope that you enjoy the artwork created by the women they work with. If you haven't already, please head over to our Instagram and click the link to donate directly to the charity. All donations gratefully appreciated. So, why are we here, together, sharing these pages? We believe that art can be a tool to enable social justice and tackle inequality. Increasingly, in Britain today, refugees and asylum seekers are discriminated against through the so-called 'hostile environment'. Often, refugees become the victims of vicious stereotyping and misinformation, their trauma is questioned and they are retraumatised and humiliated by the Home Office, made to live in unsafe conditions, and not allowed to contribute to society. This zine aims to show off the work of refugee women, challenging the narrative that suggests refugees are not part of our community by celebrating the work they have made and sharing it with you. 'Having grown up around a community of refugees [friends of my late father, who was a refugee from Chile], I want wider society to challenge the dehumanising narratives about asylum seekers peddled by the media. Most people don't know a refugee, so they only have stereotypes and media narratives to get to know them. These are often a poor reflection of both the suffering and achievements of refugees. We hope this zine allows you to get to know some refugee women more directly, as they tell us about themselves through art' - Millie (co-founder of the common) Some artists have chosen to remain anonymous, but we have included the names of those who have not.
like e m e e whit r a y e now l r l a a m y r e o N so th t n e r e diff ry. glitte
The vase before plain glass but I add some varnish clear with glitter and for bottle one silver and the other is gold
Different spray colours for pasta sauce bottle and concentrate juice, I use thread to make line in them.
Nature loves you, Silent calls of nature. Beauty behind silent nature. Nature is always there for you, Free of cost. Nature is your best companion. Nature is your best friend, just try to feel it. Nature is always faithful to you and will never leave you. You can trust nature. Nature is always natural not artificial. Nature is always simple and attractive. Nature reminds you of your God that he is the best creator. Nothing can replace nature. Nature is best healer I think and time. Nature is reminder to be in the present moment. Nature is one of the best things which u can have in your life. Nature reminds u about your own self that u are alive......you need fresh air .....you need sunshine.....you need to observe sky.....even for few minutes observe nature to feel your soul satisfaction and calmness.
The text to go with the water image is: Magical effect of water, Water silent call to just relax, Feel your presence, Water like diamonds.
by Nouha
Nouha is a participant of the
Refugee Women Connect Early Action Art Group.
Artwork from a session exploring self-esteem, we talked about identities and how, like fingerprints each one of is unique!
"Nahla uses her crochet skills to create toys, accessories and clothes for herself, friends and family"
This anonymous artist is a participant of our Early Action Art Group.
How to access support for yourself: The best way to get support is to attend one of our dropins. All our drop-ins are a women-only safe space. At our drop-ins we offer refreshments, including a meal, opportunities to meet other women, get help and support from staff, volunteers and some other organisations that attend. Children are always welcome and we have toys for them to play with. When you attend our drop-in we will explain the different ways that we can work with you. This could be by offering you help finding a solicitor, making a phone call, interpreting a letter or providing you with someone who can attend an appointment with you. If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby you can join our support group for women who are pregnant or have a child under one. This is a smaller group where you can get lots of useful advice and support. There are many other ways we can help and support you and as we are connected with lots of other organisations we can help connect you to them too. We want to help all women be as informed as possible about the things that affect them. Refugee Women Connect runs workshops, activities and classes which will provide you with information on a range of topics. To find out about these please check the reception desk at each drop-in or speak to a staff member or volunteer. If you need details of when and where our drop-ins run then please contact us.
How to access support for someone else: If you know a woman who is claiming asylum, has been refused or has been granted leave to remain then they may benefit from using our services. We can support them in a range of ways, both at our drop-in and through oneto-one support. Our services are delivered by women for women. We primarily offer support through our women only dropins. At the drop-ins there are refreshments, including a meal, opportunities to meet other women, get help and support from staff, volunteers and some other organisations that attend the drop-in. Children are always welcome and we have toys for them to play with. Women can get one-to-one casework and emotional support, find out more about the asylum process and life in the UK and get information about specialist services that could be useful to them. Women can request for someone to go with them to an important appointment, such as a hospital appointment or court. If their support needs are complex we may be able to offer them additional oneto-one support outside of drop-in. To access our services, you can ask the person you know to attend one of our drop-ins. They can turn up to any drop-in and do not need to let us know they are coming in advance. If you need details of when and where our drop-ins run then please contact us. If you are concerned that the person you want us to support will not be able to attend any of our drop-ins, or if you would like to give us information about a specific issue, then please make a referral using our referral form and the external referral guidance notes provided. We are also launching a new mental health programme, where women can access support groups, one-to-one emotional support, arts and crafts, and various wellbeing activities. To refer someone into this service, please complete the following referral form and email to maria@refugeewomenconnect.org.uk.
How to contact Refugee Women Connect Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all staff are homeworking and our office phone is not being monitored. To contact us, please email info@refugeewomenconnect.org.uk, or use the contact form below, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are a refugee woman or a woman who is seeking asylum and would like support you can contact the refugee and asylum support team. The team works on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm. You can contact them on the following number and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. 07538764156 Please let us know if you need an interpreter and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.