Shining a light: case studies of real people we help.

 Amina, a 33-year-old Kuwaiti from the Bedouin tribe, shares her harrowing journey filled with fear, uncertainty,and a fierce desire to protect her four children. As Bedoon, they were denied rights and opportunities in Kuwait until they left in 2017. SWAN help many refugees from Kuwait of the Bedoon tribe who have fled due to being a stateless tribe with no rights in Kuwait. 

Amina and her family of four children and husband endured a challenging three-year stay in Greece, constantly on the move. Their journey took them through several European countries before arriving in the UK in February 2022.

In a UK hotel, the stress of being refugees had caused her husband Hamza to turn to alcohol and release anger towards his wife Amina. A disturbing incident involving Hamza occurred due to his struggles with alcohol. The police intervened, and a restraining order was issued. However, the order has since expired, and Amina’s fears for her and her children's safety as Hamza’ s violent outbursts intensify and she has no way of protecting herself and her kids. Amina seeks a safer location and assistance with her divorce process, but faces difficulties due to her unique marital situation. She can not go through divorce proceedings as members of the Bedoon tribe have no identification papers and thus no paper confirming marriages, all marriages are verbal. The curse of being born into a stateless tribe, treated like less than human.

She implores for help in keeping her family together and safeguarding her children from the influence of her husband, particularly her eldest son, whose well-being is at risk. Amina is currently seeking assistance from organizations like SWAN but remains in constant fear for her family's safety. 

Sadly, there are many like Amina, who have faced the worries and stress of seeking asylum and traveling through different countries not knowing local languages, trying to seek solace and a home and are left in the UK with little support, cramped conditions and then facing the worries of the future for their children and themselves. For Amina, although she escaped living with the stigma of being born to a stateless tribe by fleeing her country with her family, the toll it took on the mental health of herself and her family has been great resulting in its breakdown as her husband became abusive and now seeks to further divide them. Living constantly in fear for her safety and that of her children and anxiety of their future in regards to living, education and life. 

Amina, fled her home country where she was born to a stateless tribe with her husband and children to seek safety and a future but the perilous, long journey through different countries had left Amina and her family filled with mental turmoil and fear. Sadly, Amina’s struggles have not ended as she became a victim of domestic violence and struggles to be granted a divorce due to being stateless, SWAN have stepped in to provide her and her family with comfort however we can. We have given food, warm meals, and emotional support through our classes for children, tea clubs and Eid parties but we hope we can continue to support such families. 

SWAN hope to bridge the gap and help by supporting with necessities of good food, access to advice through free travel and workshops and providing emotional support through monthly refugee art classes for kids and tea and talks for adults. With mounting hatred towards refugees and less and less help for them, SWAN aspire to bring ease to their lives.