Zeinab* found Govan Community Project when she moved to Cardonald in 2017. Here she shares her story, and explains the impact attending our Women’s Group has had on her life.
I came to Scotland in 2011 from Afghanistan with my two young children to join my husband who was working here. In the first few months I was busy looking after my children and making my home, but after a few months I started to miss my family, there was no internet in Afghanistan for us to call, I started to feel alone. I had three friends, they were the wives of my husband’s friends, they were all I had. I went to college to learn English. I had to start right from the very beginning, from ABCs, but then I was pregnant with my son, and then my daughter and I didn’t have time to attend college. We moved around from Ibrox to Govanhill, and then in 2017 we moved to Cardonald. When I moved to Moss Heights, my neighbour told me about the community flat and GCP, she said they were friendly and they would help me.
When I first came to the Women’s Group I was very afraid, I was afraid to leave the house by myself or with my children, I was afraid to get lost or for something terrible to happen to me. Everywhere I went, I went with my husband and I was very alone and scared. It started with the walking group, every week we would go out and walk around the park, the women would walk and then we would share fruit and talk. Going outside was good for me, before I had depression, all I could think about was my family. But I learnt that going outside and walking wasn’t scary, it was good for me. Then we learnt how to cycle, it was a class just for women, after two lessons I could cycle. I had never had a bike before, in Afghanistan women are not allowed to ride bikes, I never had a bike as a child. So when I learnt how to cycle I felt total freedom, I felt the best, I can cycle – I can go anywhere. They said if I could learn I could have a bike, so then I got a bike from GCP bike library.
After learning how to cycle I wanted to learn how to drive, I felt if I could learn to cycle I could learn anything. Friends at Women’s Group told me I could do it, they sent me the app and encouraged me to try. My husband said the test was very difficult, I might not pass. I passed for the first time. Then I passed my practical test and I could drive. All of this happened when I joined the group, before I joined I felt very weak, unable to do anything. In my country the men say that women are just to stay in the home, they can’t do anything. But coming to this group I met strong women who worked, who went outside, I felt like I could do anything. It’s important for me to show my children to be brave, not to be scared.
I have learnt and tried so many new things through this group, we have learnt new sports and activities, I have seen so much of Glasgow through this group and trips. I tell everyone to come to this group, I tell my friends and my neighbours. Two years ago I said I wanted to work here, I had no experience but I wanted to learn. I started to volunteer for an hour at the Women’s Group, I sign people in and I welcome them to the group. Last year someone new came with her husband, she was very nervous and couldn’t speak English, her husband was worried about her being at home alone all the time. I met her, and I welcomed her to this group. I like getting to be the person who meets new people, when I see new people; I know them, I feel that.
There are a lot of refugee women at home alone, they don’t know how to start or how to get confidence, I tell them to come here, I like being the person to meet them now. Through this group I have met lots of close friends, neighbours, they give energy and inspire women. This group is like a family, GCP is my second home, I come every Friday and I love this community.
*name changed to protect anonymity
