The Conduit spotlights the ecosystem of social enterprises in response to Afghanistan's refugee crisis
We wanted to share a blog that our friends at The Conduit wrote in response to the recent events happening in Afghanistan and its refugee crisis, and the role social enterprises play in supporting the refugee commuity. The Conduit is a diverse and collaborative membership community of people passionate about social, economic and environmental change with a home in the heart of London. The below excerpt gives you an introduction to the piece and featured four social enterprises: Breadwinners, Cue Point, Chatterbox and Bread and Roses.
As thousands flee Afghanistan, refugees will need the support of communities to rebuild their lives and thrives
Words by David Osei and article published by The Conduit
“With the UK Government committing to resettling 5,000 displaced Afghans within a year, we know that their challenges won’t end once they arrive on British soil. However, there’s an ecosystem of social enterprises who are already working to ensure that refugees have access to the support, networks, information, and opportunities they will need in order to thrive in their new homes. We meet four of them.”
Breadwinners
“Getting your right to work can be a bittersweet moment, as you quickly lose a lot of the support you were receiving. Finding a job when you haven’t been allowed to work for a while is challenging, so that’s where we operate…”
Whilst underemployment is an issue refugees face, long-term unemployment is the sharp end of this problem. Half of young refugees in the UK struggle to find any employment within two years of looking, and the unemployment rate amongst refugees is three times higher than those born in the UK.
Firm in their belief that “work is essential to people’s well-being”, Breadwinners’ mission is to create pathways to employment by providing work experience selling artisanal bread at famers’ markets and fulfilling online orders. As well as improving the well-being of refugees, it also boosts their employability by developing their customer service, English language, IT, and logistics skills. Consequently, 90% of participants going on to find further paid work.
Like Yasser and Fanuel (pictured above), Maisoun works on a Breadwinners stall. She said: “I wish people knew that it is so difficult to start from zero. Before, I had a life and a good job. Now we have to start over. People just need support when they first come to the UK – to learn, to feel connected, and to be able to meet people. At the beginning, I didn’t have any confidence with my English, but now I’m much better,” she said, citing her interactions with the public on the bread stall as a key reason behind this.
Words by David Osei. You can find out about The Conduit here.