Celebrating Refugee Week 2021: In conversation with Asiyo and Maisoun

The Breadwinners Crew take part in our first event for Refugee Week at SAMPLE Market, Greenwich Peninsula

Refugee Week is a global celebration of the creativity, positivity and contribution of refugees and people seeking asylum worldwide. The theme this year is We cannot walk alone, which is a quote taken from Martin Luther King’s famous ‘I have a dream’ speech.  In the last year, we - at Breadwinners and across the world - have seen more than ever the need to uphold and cherish our communities and connections, help one another and fight inequalities and injustices together. This is what this theme symbolises, for us.

To reflect on the importance of Refugee Week, we asked Asiyo and Maisoun, who are currently on our programmes, to chat to us about their experiences coming to the UK, working with Breadwinners and to look ahead to their hopes for the future.

Asiyo, Risers Programme

Asiyo has been with us on the Risers programme for 8 weeks, and will graduate from the programme this week, having developed a range of skills and experience. She told us the programme she has made is really important to her. “If I had to describe Breadwinners in one word, I’d say amazing! Yes, because they have given me a lot of experience I can use in the future.” We asked Asiyo what she feels is the most important thing she has learnt at Breadwinners; “Communication. I speak to new people every day, it is good to both meet new people and to improve my English.”

We asked Asiyo people what she would like to share with people about her experience as a refugee. Asiyo said, “I wish people would understand that we just want to work and learn - when we arrive, we can learn English, but I couldn’t go to college, to University. It’s hard to know exactly what you can do.” For the future, Asiyo hopes she can work for herself. “I want to work, I want to work for myself,” she says, “I want to become an independent person.”

Asiyo, at Chelsea Partridges Market in Duke of York Sq

Maisoun, Breadwinners Programme

Maisoun, our current Market Stall Manager at Hammersmith Farmer’s Market, has been working with Breadwinners for several months. We asked her, on coming to the UK with her family, what she wished people understood about refugees. “I wish people knew that it is so difficult to start from zero. Before, I had a life, a good job, and now we have to start over - and with children! People just need support when they first come to the UK - to learn, to feel connected and be able to meet people.” She adds, “It’s not about money. People need support from others to learn and grow.” After accessing support in the UK, Maisoun applied to university and is now studying Human Resources Management. 

Maisoun says that refugees have so much to contribute to UK society. “The different cultures refugees bring are so important. I don’t always understand English culture, but there are so many things that bring us together across cultures.” She tells us her husband is a musician. “Music brings us closer, that is why I teach it to my children. When we first came to the UK, our English was so bad!” She says, “But then my husband would play, people would be like wow! and we could understand each other.”

We asked Maisoun what it has been like working with Breadwinners. “It’s like family!”, she tells us, “They are so like family, especially [Director] Martin and [Breadwinners Programme Manager] Charlotte. When I need anything or have any problems, I know I can contact them, even if it’s just sending an email or even applying to university.” Like Asiyo, Maisoun really values the communications skills she’s learnt at Breadwinners. “At the beginning, I didn’t have any confidence with my English, but now I’m much better.” She says that improving her communication skills has helped her become more confident as a person, too.

“Breadwinners has given me a refreshed start in the UK,” she says. “I can start towards a new job, and in the future, I want to help refugees - I want to work with a charity like Breadwinners, so I can help people when they first come to the UK.”

Thank you so much to Asiyo and Maisoun for taking the time to chat to us for this article.