Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST) is a diverse organisation that supports and empowers women seeking asylum, although it goes far beyond that. In addition to campaigning and advocating rights for everyone going through the asylum system, they provide a weekly drop in session every Friday from 10am – 3pm.
On 28th September, following one of these sessions, Eunice, a coordinator for WAST, described the goings on of a typical drop in session. On this occasion, around 80 women and 5 children attended the group. Members are greeted by the management group on arrival, and hot meals and food parcel are distributed. Eunice stressed the importance of this aspect, as it is common for the people who attend to be destitute, with no money and sometimes no place to live. In addition, there are a number of other helpful services available, such as volunteers who offer advice sessions on a wide variety of topics, and every month a lawyer volunteers to provide free legal advice to anyone who needs it.
WAST also runs a choir and a drama group in these sessions, which they use to express and communicate the issues people seeking asylum face on a day to day basis. Eunice said that the WAST Choir had been invited to sing at the University of Manchester’s School of Arts, Language and Cultures, and in the past have went into the community to reach out and educate people who are unaware of problems people in the asylum system face.
The fascinating thing about WAST as an organisation is that they are also managed entirely by either people who are currently seeking asylum, or have sought asylum in the past. This could be the reason Eunice was so passionate when discussing the impact the drop in sessions have on the participants, having experienced many of the same barriers as them. She understands how hard it can be for women seeking asylum, and said ‘I often use myself as an example’. This understanding is crucial in connecting the organisation, and allows for a deeper level of support. By working together and sharing each experiences, everyone is able to learn and become empowered.
Over the course of the discussion, Eunice described WAST as a family more than once, and it’s not hard to see why. When women seeking asylum don’t have anybody else to rely on, she said that they “cry together, work together and enjoy together”.
Eunice used an example of one woman in particular to exemplify the work of WAST. This woman came to the UK knowing very limited English, which hindered her in every-day life, as it does with so many others in the same situation. A volunteer led some English classes, and over time she also became involved in the choir and drama groups. Learning these skills, combined with the supportive setting, allowed this woman to build her confidence and reduce the stresses she previously suffered from, and become another member of the Women Asylum Seekers Together family.
Click here to see the promo for 'Still We Rise', a powerful performance by WAST - https://vimeo.com/163425662