When Fawzyah was forced to leave Afghanistan, she was about to finish university and hope was running low.
Nearly four years on, she and her husband Fawad have built a new life in Ireland and have become part of the community sponsorship group that welcomed them – ready to help other refugees settle in their new homes.
From Afghanistan to Ireland
15 August 2021 was a dark day in Afghanistan. As the Taliban seized control of Kabul, thousands fled their homes, making their way to the airport in an attempt to escape the country. People were scared. Among the throng of bodies in search of safety that day were Fawzyah, her husband Fawad and their young daughter.
A life under the control of the Taliban was not an option.
Following a number of failed attempts to leave, the family eventually arrived in Ireland and were relocated to a very remote part of the country designated to receive emergency arrivals from Afghanistan. With limited access to services and facilities, they were eventually introduced to a Community Sponsorship (CS) group in Naas, a town west of Dublin, and given the opportunity to move there.
The group leaders Frieda and Ciara recall how nervous they were. “We just really wanted them to love Naas, we didn’t know what they would think!” They needn’t have worried.
Fawad says that as soon as he arrived in Naas he felt at home. “It reminded me of my hometown”, something he had not expected. Once everyone was on board, the full community sponsorship team sprang into action and were soon ready to welcome the family.
When Fawzyah arrived that first day she discovered she had everything she needed. For a month and a half, they didn’t need to buy anything, it was all there waiting for them!
Very soon they fell into step with the local community. This made Fawzyah feel like she wasn’t alone, that she already had friends. The support from the CS team meant that there was family there for them from day one. As well as the day-to-day connections, the full group, including all their families, would meet in the beautiful Killashee House Hotel.
Here they have held memorable get togethers, all laden with love and laughter. Fawzyah says that she has one big group shot from there and when she looks at the photo, it brings her peace. This is her community sponsorship family.
Not long after arriving in Naas, Fawad and Fawzyah welcomed their second daughter to the world, born in the Coombe Hospital in Dublin. Fawzyah was well known to locals thanks to Ciara who introduced her to some friends who lived beside the busy hospital.
In an area renowned for its lack of parking facilities, Fawad now had many friendly driveways to choose from for his wife’s regular check-ups. The arms of support extended well beyond the borders of Naas!
A new arrival didn’t stop Fawad and Fawzyah from creating further ties and bonds within the community. Not only were they now offering support to others (Fawzyah is a regular caller to one of the older members of the CS group, who lives alone) but have taken lead roles in organizing community events including an intercultural food festival and a recent fundraiser for Gaza where Fawzyah’s dishes were the talk of the town!
It’s events like this that Freida and Ciara agree are a real shining light for the whole town and bring people together who, despite living in the same area for many years, have never met.
Fawzyah says that being part of the community, belonging, being part of a family, is “the best feeling ever”. She says that when she talks to her family back in Afghanistan, she describes the group as her “second family”.
Fawzyah says that being part of the community, belonging, being part of a family, is “the best feeling ever”. She says that when she talks to her family back in Afghanistan, she describes the group as her “second family”.
Fawad also recently became the co-chair of the community sponsorship group and, together with Fawyzah, is working to support the next community sponsorship drive. They wanted to help someone the way the community helped them.
Frieda can’t help smiling with pride every time she recalls the memory of Fawyzah – whose style is much admired by her friends – standing up to speak at a recent event when everyone else was too shy to. She says that Fawyzah showed her elegance and strength in a whole new light – that of the community leader she had now become.
For Ciara and Frieda, the Community Sponsorship journey has been something that they never imagined. “It changes how you live your life, and for the kids, it is an amazing experience.” They both agree that their world has been opened up, not just to Fawad and Fawzyah but to the many different nationalities living in their community. “You get so much more out of it than you give. Community sponsorship is like a missing piece in how to bring humanity together.”
“You get so much more out of it than you give. Community sponsorship is like a missing piece in how to bring humanity together.”
They all agree that community sponsorship is not about you as an individual. It is about people coming together, respecting each other and making connections. People don’t look at the differences, they look at the people. It works because it’s not about your background or your cultural or religious beliefs. It’s about humanity.
For Fawyzah, community sponsorship is about belonging. She says that in Afghanistan they always believed people in the West didn’t help each other. She now sees that this is not true, and how important family is. But it is not just about her.
Now she can have dreams for her children and build a beautiful life for them. Anything is possible.
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