Project Atefa

Many of us are aware of the atrocities that have been taking place in Palestine. Men, women and children have been left destitute and displaced, with their voices being stripped from them. But there are people around the world who are speaking for Palestinians and challenging the injustice, two of them are University of Leicester students Sultan and Ayham. These young activists have been advocating for Palestine for over a year and we had the great pleasure of interviewing them to learn about their work. We hope you're inspired by their story and advocacy, as we were Share and follow our page to read more upcoming letters and see the work being done by our volunteers and refugees around the world 🌏

Project Atefa Partner event: Countering Extremism and Building Trust Our Project Atefa team had the great opportunity of collaborating with our long-term partner the DIALOGUE SOCIETY, for an empowering panel discussion yesterday Leicester community leaders and DMU staff and students came together to hear from expert panellists about countering terrorism and the role of civil society. The panellists included Dr. Kim Sadique, Kerim Balci, Dr. Kamil Yilmaz and Kamla Pattni They shared insights on push and pull factors contributing to extremist actions, how Non-associational and associational actions can bring people together and how charity organisations can promote peace and humanity. Thank you to the dialogue society for working with us again, to our project Atefa Team for coordinating and to everyone who attended

Yesterday one of our Project Atefa Volunteers, Anne Ibobo, delivered a powerful presentation at the DMU United Nations Impact Hub COP29 launch event 🌎! Anne shared how her participation in Project Atefa inspired her to research mental health support for young refugees and the policies surrounding them. She shared stories about her volunteering experiences with organisations, such as ZamZam Unlimited Possibilities CIC, HomesForUkraine and the British Red Cross , and how they pushed her to understand the communities they serve better We are very proud of Anne and honoured to have inspired her Masters' research

We had a great week with Atefa in Leicester! Last week Atefa and Kathrin gave an inspiring talk to our volunteering team, DMU staff and students and project partners. Kathrin, the historical political educator at Marienfelde Refugee Centre Museum, delivered a presentation on the migration history within Berlin from 1940 to the present. It provided an insightful background for hearing Atefa's moving story. We were all touched by her story and motivated even more to make difference in the lives of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable communities Our DMU United Nations Impact Hub team also had a great time showing Atefa and Kathrin around Leicester and sightseeing in London. They enjoyed seeing some of the famous sites such as Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben It was a pleasure having Atefa and Kathrin at De Montfort University

ATEFA IS IN LEICESTER WITH US ! Our team had the great pleasure of welcoming Atefa and Kathrin from Marienfelde Refugee Centre Museum last Sunday to the De Montfort University campus Yesterday Atefa and Kathrin met with Third-year social work students to engage in an open discussion about asylum seeker and refugee issues Kathrin, a historical political educator at Marienfelde Refugee Centre Museum, delivered a presentation on the history of migration within Berlin. Afterwards, Atefa shared her story with the group and discussed the challenges faced by refugees They've had a great time exploring Leicester's campus and meeting students, and are excited for the rest of the week ahead!

We are excited to share a new letter with you detailing Dr. Mark Charlton experience supporting Project Atefa from its inception! "Dr Mark Charlton runs the United Nations Academic Impact hub at De Montfort University (DMU). With many achievements under his belt, his work spans lecturing in Policy Commission, directing Net Zero and Climate Action Research and being Associate Director of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Impact hub at DMU. " Dr Charlton played a pivotal role in empowering the students to create Project Atefa and make a difference within the community Thank you to our volunteer Matilde Reis for interviewing and writing this piece Share and follow our page to read more upcoming letters and see the work being done by our volunteers and refugees around the world 🌏

Project Atefa Presentation to United Nations Senior official On Monday 9th September our Project Atefa had the opportunity to present our work to Director of Outreach in the UN Department of Global Communications Maher Nasser and Vice Chancellor of De Montfort University Katie Normington Our facilitator Jemima Duodu spoke about the projects history, aims and achievements, which was followed by a wonderful speech from one of our dedicated volunteers Annabel Mwagalanyi BA, MA, Assco. Cipd, TEFL We want to say a massive thank you to Maher Nasser for listening to our story and to the DMU United Nations Impact Hub for organising this event

Project Atefa with Leicestershire County Council: Supporting Young Ukrainians Last Sunday our team had a wonderful time volunteering with the Leicestershire County Council at their "Young Ukrainians Event." The event was created to be a safe space for young Ukrainian refugees to exchange school tips and unwind to the movie Inside Out 2. They shared tips on the importance of making friends and not being alone. One of the attendees shared: "Although on the outside I look brave I was scared (.......) but try not to be nervous in school, do the best you can !" The experiences of being in a secondary school or college in the UK are very nuanced and this event provided the perfect opportunity for them to express their concerns, hopes and joys. Thank you very much to the Leicestershire County Council team for inviting us to this event and letting us hear about their experiences first-hand!

SPEAK UP FOR PEACE: ACTIONS FOR A PEACEFUL WORLD 🗣️ 🌏 Many of us have witnessed the divisions, protests, and violence happening around the world. It is important now more than ever to speak up for peace and amplify the message of inclusivity The Project Atefa volunteering team are committed to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and we are encouraging you all to join the United Nations in their "Peace Begins With Me" movement by sharing your inspiring stories of hope with the hashtag #PeaceBegins🫂 "Peace is not only a noble vision for humanity, it is a call to action....Use your voice and words to challenge hate and champion peace" ~ United Nations : Use this link to find out more information about the movement 🔗 : https://lnkd.in/ghBQnx2n

There is an amazing opportunity to donate and support the futures of young girls' within Leicester ✨ Our Project Atefa team have had the pleasure of meeting some of these young girls and they are incredibly ambitious! ZamZam Unlimited Possibilities CIC work is inspiring and these donations will be a great help ! For more information, you can contact their team at: info@zamzamunlimited.org