Bader and his family came to the UK after fleeing Kuwait. He is now looking to start his new life in Manchester and follow his aspiration of becoming a football coach.
Bader first came to the UK as an as asylum seeker, originally arriving in Liverpool. “I was born in Kuwait but had to flee after the government took support away from our family – including our right to work and basic services.”
Bader’s grandfather lived in the desert and refused to move to the city when the government began building the ‘new Kuwait’, transforming Kuwait into a financial and trade centre – involving moving residents from rural areas into cities. “My grandfather said ‘I have my animals – I don’t want this', but because of this opposition, both he and his family were told they were ‘not real Kuwaitis’ and had their rights taken from them.
Bader came to Manchester in January 2022 and has been making the most of the cultural offering across the city. “I’m here with my family – my wife, two daughters and my son. We like to go to the Trafford Centre together – there’s a local park near to where we live where my children can play on the swings”. It wasn’t long before Bader registered with Mustard Tree and was invited to a Freedom Project open day. “I love it because I get free training – they pay for my travel expenses and I get free lunch every day”. Bader also accesses the free courses at Mustard Tree, including ‘Computer Confidence’ and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).
As part of Bader’s Freedom Project, he currently trains in the ground-floor coffee shop at the Ancoats hub whilst taking online training for hygiene certification. Bader’s dream goal however is to pursue his love of football.
“I’d like to be a football coach in Manchester! I did two years coaching in Kuwait for a league”.
Bader (Top, third from right)
Bader was a professional footballer in his home country, representing Al-Jahraa in the Kuwaiti league. In April 2023, one of Mustard Tree’s charity partners Shoosmiths hosted a charity football match against the Jet2 TV Allstars to raise money for the charity. Bader lined up alongside Mustard Tree and Shoosmith staff to play in the match, helping to raise over £3,500.
Bader is now looking forward to the summer and exploring more of Manchester with his friends and family.
“I’m a sunny man! In Kuwait, we can play football all of the time – six days a week at the moment. I can’t do that here at the moment, maybe in the summer when the weather gets better. I’d like to go to the Manchester Museum now it’s open – and of course the National Football Museum!