Engaging young asylum-seekers

Abdul fled on a 5,000-mile journey, fighting to survive for 18 months at the age of just 14.  Abdul’s father had served in the Afghan military and lost his life to Taliban reprisals after the US withdrawal.

When he was then placed with us in County Durham, Abdul struggled to adapt - he isolated himself and fell out with his housemates. Conflict resulted in police call outs, damaged property and Abdul wanted to move into a flat with another housing provider, but by the next Monday he was evicted from there for causing substantial damage.

Abdul faced homelessness but Handcrafted believes that everyone deserves another chance, even if it costs us. So, we settled him into another Handcrafted house.

When his first new housemate was due to arrive, Abdul was anxious. He decided to make them feel welcome by preparing a meal, but we had to teach him to cook first!

We have kept up the cooking lessons. He can now cook a range of meals independently including an Afghan national dish. This led to growth in confidence and healthy coping mechanisms. It gave him space to open up about his struggles and he is now accessing counselling.