Fatou Ceesay, women’s service coordinator at Refugee Resource, talks about helping vulnerable asylum seekers and arrivals to the city.

THE Women’s Service at Refugee Resource brings together women who are refugees, asylum seekers or vulnerable migrants – people who have been trafficked, enslaved or suffered domestic abuse and trauma.

Separated from their homes, communities and extended families, often following very traumatic events, the women are vulnerable upon reaching Oxford, even if accompanied by children and their husbands.

They then have the complex and challenging process of having their refugee status agreed, which can re-traumatise many.

Most suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma-related issues.

They feel isolated and some talk of staying home and not wanting to go out for long periods when they arrive due to fear.

At the Women’s Service, they find others in similar situations.

Refugee Resource supports clients from 36 different countries so often they meet someone from their home country.

They are embraced by a warm community of amazing women who understand and will support them, along with the specialists at Refugee Resource.

The group meets three times a week providing activities that promote physical, emotional and social wellbeing such as English Classes, basic exercise, health workshops etc.

The women themselves decide upon the activities they want or need as part of the programme. It is wonderful that this group of women, understanding the pain of isolation more than most, want to reach out to other isolated communities.

The result was a plan to deliver four pop-up cafes to isolated communities in Oxfordshire at which the women would cook a free meal using recipes from their own countries.

Funding was kindly provided by Oxfordshire Community Foundation’s High Sheriff’s Community Integration Awards to enable this.

Three cafés have already taken place and a fourth is planned for January 2019.

The first café was held in March in partnership with the Oxford Homeless Project delivering meals for homeless people.

A second pop-up café was held in June at East Oxford Community Centre as part of Refugee Week, for disadvantaged people from all around Oxford.

The third café was in October in conjunction with the Oxford natural history museum for adults with learning disabilities, older people and others from Oxfordshire Mind, Young Dementia UK and Oxford Association for the Blind.

The fourth café will be held in collaboration with Syrian Sisters and Asylum Welcome to provide a meal for older people benefitting from the work of Age UK and the newly arrived Syrian refugee families living in Witney.

The buzz at these events is amazing as both the women and their customers exchange cultures and build understanding.

“We cooked the meals from the bottom of our hearts,” said one of the women, and truly they did.

“Cooking for the homeless people is fulfilling,” said another, after the first café, “I know it is not a lot but it is my little way of giving back to the British people who have opened their doors for me when I needed it most. It is now time for me to give back."

The women were actively involved in the planning and delivery of the event from shopping, decorating, cooking and serving of food. The women felt empowered and had the opportunity to interact with people that they would not usually do.

One of the women told us how, when she was walking past a homeless person after the first café, the man called out ‘hey chef’.

She suddenly realised he meant her. Imagine what that recognition meant to her and, clearly, the occasion had been memorable for him.

The women collected together recipes from their home countries into a recipe book last year called ‘Come to Our Table’.

Copies of the recipe books are available to buy from Refugee Resource – they cost £5 and all proceeds go towards funding the activities of the Women’s Service. Simply drop into our office to buy one or email us at info@refugeeresource.org to arrange one to be sent to you.