Afghan Outreach Project – Bright Path Futures

In August 2021, at least 15,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan by the UK Government. These families and individuals arrived with little understanding of culture or everyday life in the UK. Many of the women had little or no education and were functionally illiterate in their own language.

The stress of trying to set up new lives in the UK has led to endemic mental health issues in this community, with an estimated 50% of adults receiving prescribed medication for anxiety and depression.

The approach Bright Path Futures has taken is unique in that it has been developed and piloted by professionals who also arrived in the UK as resettled Afghan Bridging Hotel community members. This means that culturally we are well placed to offer support which feels safe and comfortable to all members of the community – and most specifically tp women and their families.

Our approach was enthusiastically taken up by the Home Office team responsible for supporting relocated Afghan families. We also work in partnership with the British Red Cross, supporting each other’s outreach project work.

Bright Path Futures has created extensive video and printed training materials to make language and literacy learning fully accessible for the hard-to-reach group of illiterate Afghan women. Our free Pashto and Dari on-line classes prepare women to access ESOL classes, as they gain the confidence to leave their homes and integrate into UK society.

We have translated Amiko cards – a practical self help wellbeing resource – into both Dari and Pasho, and use these as a foundation for promoting self care and cultural integration.

Lottery Community funding has enabled us to provide free online classes, workbooks and Amiko cards to relocated Afghan women across the Midlands area, and we continue to offer outreach services to families still arriving in the UK.

What the women say…

“I didn’t know how to read or write or have any self-confidence before I started – now I know my ability, that I can that I can learn, I can start to write, read and speak English. This is one of the goals of my life. Now I’m very excited before I come to a class, and I’m very happy to learn English.

Back in Afghanistan I couldn’t go to school, so it’s a new experience for me to take a pen in my hand and write something. All of us are so excited and happy that we joined the class. Any time that I have at day or night, if I have a chance, I want to keep studying and learn English.

If there are other women who are afraid to come to a class, my advice is that they should come here, they should learn. I recommend they come just one time, and then they will see the changes in themselves. I had the same problem the first time – I said to myself, I can’t do this, I can’t ever be part of this. But then I came to the class and I saw what it was like and I told myself, I can do this.

I only have one hope in future, that I can speak some English and I can write English. Then I will feel I am a member of society. I want to get a job in the future, any job, any work. Before I came to the class I didn’t think I could ever get a job. Now I can write my name and my surname, and lots more other things too, I feel I have more power, I feel anything might be possible if I work hard – to get a job, and join society.”