164 - Supporting refugees from Afghanistan - June 2024

One of our members got in touch to ask if we might be able to help a family she has been supporting who are refugees from Afghanistan.

After suffering numerous hardships, delays and mishaps from the UK and Pakistani governments, the family (originally from Afghanistan) were granted leave to come to the UK at the end of 2023 and arrived at the beginning of this year. The family comprises mum (S) & dad (A), their three children, aged 2, 3 and 4 and A’s orphaned brothers aged 15 and 19. A works in a supermarket to support the family and has managed to secure a flat, with the seven of them sharing two bedrooms.  The family has suffered so much over the past few years and are delighted and grateful to be in the UK at last. Obviously, money is beyond tight for the family and they live off the bare minimum.  

The 2 brothers have now been accepted onto college courses which will allow them to develop their English and also learn new skills which will aid them in their future education and job opportunities.  To really maximise the benefit of this course, however, the boys would need laptops. Not only would these help the boys, they would also be hugely beneficial to the family as a whole, who currently have to manage the family’s admin etc on A’s phone.

We have been made aware of local schemes that sometimes can provide laptops, etc to families in need, but unfortunately this was not available to this family.  We have been in close contact with the nominator and she told us what a dreadful time this family has been through and how hard they are working to build their lives here.  We wanted to send them £500, which would buy 2 Chromebooks, with a little extra for the family, with our very best wishes. 

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