Help Afrocats support women refugees in Manchester

Natives of the World is Afrocats programme for women from refugee backgrounds. Our aim is to give women to access activities that will improve their wellbeing and increase employability skills so they can feel included and valued members of society. We rely completely on donations and voluntary income to deliver this programme and are looking for support so we can continue our vital work.

The women on our programme experience isolation, low self-esteem, long-term health issues, and emotional and mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress and depression.

Jilla is one of the 70 adults we support through our Natives of the World programme:

"I am Iranian but I’ve been here in Manchester for 10 years. When you first arrive in the UK and you can’t speak English it is a big problem. You don’t know the law and you don’t know how to cope. For some asylum seekers when they arrive and they are sent straight to a detention centre but they have no idea why. They can’t speak English so don’t understand what is happening. A lot of asylum seekers and refugees are very anxious and very depressed. But there are groups like Afrocats that help people and are kind to them. I’m an artist, I make jewellery and handmade things so I know how important art is, it really helps. That’s why groups like Afrocats help to change your mood and support you. A lot of Iranian asylum seekers were rich people in their country so they find it hard to ask for help. They feel ashamed and don’t want to be seen as homeless but Afrocats and their volunteers are very sensitive and respectful."

Eden got her refugee status in 2019 and is a participant on our Natives of the World programme. This inspired her to ask us if she could join us as a volunteer to run her own group.

“I was a participant in Afrocats walking group, through the group I made friends, I met people in the same situation as me. We could talk about women’s issues, things that were causing us worries that we saw in the news. I wanted to give something back to Afrocats so I asked Magdalen if I could volunteer. When Magdalen asked me what I wanted to do I asked if we could make a group to bring people together to have time to ourselves together, time just for talking. From there Table Talk was born. I want to get a paid job and leading Table Talk helps give me the confidence to make that happen. It helps me develop day-by-day because Afrocats believe in me. It is amazing.”

We're looking to raise money to continue to deliver vital wellbeing activities to support women on our programme. The money raised will help fund activities and participant travel expenses.

Thank you for your support.