Bright Path Futures began as an Afghan-led wellbeing project bringing coaching support to families newly re-settled in the UK. We continue to offer first language cultural integration and wellbeing workshops and information, along with resources in Dari and Pashto for language and literacy learning.
The project is sponsored by the University of Leicester and is delivered in close collaboration with the British Red Cross.
"I had to leave my home and my country"
In August 2021, thousands of people from Afghanistan were brought to the UK after the Taliban took over the country. You may remember watching the dramatic news reports from Kabul airport as people tried to leave.
"We're waiting for somewhere to live, somewhere where the children can play"
Since then, many Afghan families have been living in UK hotels in cramped conditions waiting for a home to become available. It has been a stressful and disorientating time for many - far away from friends and family, not yet able to start the process of settling into a new community.
Self-expression
"I've never written my name before – now all I want to do is learn English."
Many of the women have never been to school, as the Taliban was in charge of the country when they were growing up. Never having held a pen or been in a classroom before, learning English is a huge challenge, but writing your name for the first time ever is a really exciting moment, sparking a deep commitment to learning and becoming an active member of wider society. Our ‘everyone can write their name’ campaign is a catalyst for change, growth and development.
Connection
"Afghans are supporting Afghans to make new friends and feel safer outside."
At Bright Path Futures, we’ve found ways to make the transition to life in the UK easier, recruiting Afghan professionals to help families adjust, make friends from different cultural backgrounds and feel more confident about integrating into what can be a confusing and intimidating new world.
Looking after yourself
“I see my wife feeling so stressed after 7 months in the hotel. Now she has pain in her back, her legs and her head, so she can’t walk outside.”
While most women in Afghanistan traditionally stay at home in caring roles, living without a home or extended family makes it much tougher to maintain your physical wellbeing. In these new conditions, it’s really important to learn to stretch, breathe, build your strength, get out in the fresh air and move, as well as make friends, socialise and have fun. All of our activities promote this for women, however small their living space, championing their right to access exercise and social connection.
Getting clear
“Having coaching support in place is vital to raise aspiration and ambition – you can believe in yourself if someone else believes in you.”
We're building a team of skilled, professional Afghan coaches and facilitators – people whose very successful careers have been interrupted, but who now have time and are passionate about helping their own people. Out team work in hotels across the country helping to prepare families to embark on their new life here in the UK, setting goals and planning their next steps.
Creating shareable resources
We’ve teamed up with Little Challenges and our sponsor, Mondi Group, to create an Afghan-language version of Amiko Cards - an easy-access wellbeing resource. These cards help people build healthy habits around physical self-care, emotional resilience, social connection and organisation – all key for wellbeing. New editions in Ukrainian and Pashto are on the way, as well as digital versions in multiple different language combinations using the innovative card deck app, Deckible, due for release in May 2022.