Refugee week – spotlight
With 188 languages spoken in the borough, Hounslow Council has a proud history of supporting refugees. As part of celebrations for Refugee Week, we are highlighting how Meena, Shabnam and Hamda have made Hounslow their home.
Meena’s story
Meena resettled in Hounslow in 2022 with three siblings. The Council supported her with sourcing a bike and connecting her with Cycle Sisters, a Muslim women’s cycle group.
Before coming to the UK, she was studying law at university in Kabul which sadly she was not able to complete due to having to flee. Cycling was a hobby of hers and she aspires to pursue this professionally in the UK and to cycle for GB in the Olympics one day. She also aspires to pursue a career as a nurse. She has currently been able to secure a traineeship with Ikea through the support services we offer refugees.
Shabnam’s story
Shabnam, an aspiring TV presenter in Afghanistan, was forced to flee home when the Taliban took power in 2021. Settled in the UK, she has found the transition difficult because of the language barrier. She could only speak simple English words like “hello” and “bye” when she arrived in the country and got lost in supermarkets and public transport stations.
Shabnam and her sister Meena are now attending English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Pre-Entry courses, delivered by Learn Hounslow, a provider of Adult & Community Education in Hounslow Council.
Shabnam has grasped a basic level of English language after attending the ESOL course for a year. She is currently working part-time as a TV presenter at the Afghanistan International TV station in London. She is building her network with her classmates and neighbours. She also has ambitious goals for her future including becoming a professional journalist.
Hamda’s story
Hamda was three years old when her family fled from the civil war in Somalia in 1990s. She is a tutor at Learn Hounslow, who provide teaching accredited ESOL and Digital Skills courses. With a background as a refugee, Hamda wants to help other people to develop and achieve.
She tells us about the benefits of ESOL highlighting how they combine language learning with real-life situations, such as visiting supermarkets and booking GP appointments, - “this helps build refugees’ confidence, become independent and improves their wellbeing.”
