Alumna inspiring refugees

Routes’ mission is to connect communities and champion women from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds to reach their personal or professional development goals through the four-month mentoring programme. These goals can be related to work, education or general personal confidence.

Now, Tamana is working with Routes full-time as a mentoring programme manager, serving the community she was once in, and she feels at home in London and the UK. She has also been giving talks at conferences across the UK and EU on equity and solidarity for refugees in higher education and has supported OLIve, UEL’s programme of courses for asylum seekers and refugees in the UK.

Tamana says,

On this IWD, we really need to normalise equality and equal opportunities for girls and women around the world. I want to particularly reflect on the situation in Afghanistan where girls and women are no longer able to get an education or work in public sector jobs. 

I am working with Routes to empower and champion women from displaced backgrounds to integrate into UK society, including entering the job market and giving them opportunities to grow in confidence.”

Speaking about her own journey, she reflects, “Now I can live my life without specific restrictions and do simple things such as opening a bank account, working freely and renting a property, these changes or freedom of choice bring a lot of happiness, ease and relief to my life. Having that asylum seeker tag really restricts my life and that is gone now,” she said.

In her role at Routes, Tamana works on female empowerment, delivering Routes' leadership development mentoring programme, in which aspiring and established women leaders from across industries are trained and supported to mentor women from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds.

“After finishing the mentoring programmes, our mentees are introduced to the Routes community where we support them in terms of the barriers that they identify and the additional support they need. We signpost many opportunities such as training, volunteering or jobs and scholarships or bursaries, so we create a community and stay connected with them,” Tamana explains. 

“Despite the UK's hostile asylum environment, there is a lot of support available at the community level. However, we will always be displaced people. We came from another place. I was born and brought up in a different country. We are still treated differently in some places.

“I have always said to my fellow asylum seekers it's vital how one uses their asylum time and how one should make connections and networks with people. This is an additional pressure but paramount in terms of integration into a new society.

"Sometimes I feel so energised when I reflect on my journey, as often there is this stereotype that refugees come to this country, they live on benefits and they don't work. During my asylum journey, I finished my Master’s and after getting my refugee status, I got a full-time job which was a big achievement for me in terms of my integration into the new society,” she said.

“I want to help to change the narrative around refugees and create more inclusive and welcoming societies/communities in the UK.”

“I am excited for what the future will bring for my family and me,” added Tamana.

Follow Tamana on Twitter.