After fleeing Afghanistan, these four girls are now in living in Chester and attend Overleigh St Mary’s CE Primary School – a school working to become a School of Sanctuary. 

They just wrote poems to raise awareness about Afghanistan, women’s rights & their new lives here in the UK. You’ll want to read them….

This poem is about how the girls want to be recognised, not simply as refugees but with potential, needs & dreams as any young girl might.

This poem is home. About their fond memories of life back in Afghanistan. They wanted people to know about the good times, not just about the negativity and war…

This one is about their hopes and dreams for the girls & women still in Afghanistan, as well as for themselves in their new life. 

They read these poems in the local cathedral, joined by their mums. They read in English and their mums read in Farsi. They each only started learning English in September – so this is an amazing achievement!

We know that children who seek sanctuary in the UK bring with them a wealth of skills, knowledge and passion and these activities, organised by the fantastic Overleigh St Mary’s CE Primary School are an excellent example of giving students space to assert and celebrate their identities and voice all they have to say.