A group is transforming the lives of women who have escaped their native lands.

Nuha Abdo established Syrian Sisters in Oxford to help women from Muslim communities build fresh starts by offering friendship, concrete help, and chances to learn new abilities.

This group brings together women from Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and further countries, creating a welcoming and safe space where they can form connections, grow, and gain confidence in their fresh circumstances.

Mrs Abdo, who previously worked for the Danish Refugee Council in Syria before herself being displaced, previously advocated for refugee rights in her Syrian hometown before becoming a refugee herself.

She described her existence in Syria prior to the conflict as purposeful, collaborating with displaced people and assisting women via global organisations, yet everything altered once hostilities commenced in 2011.

By 2014, she and her spouse had no choice but to seek sanctuary in the United Kingdom, while her family members spread across Europe and the Middle East.

Despite her qualifications, Mrs Abdo acknowledged that settling into British life proved difficult.

She explained that she was not aware she would have to justify an additional aspect of being a Muslim woman beyond being a refugee.

Driven to build something meaningful, she reached out to fellow displaced women in Oxford and set up a small WhatsApp group for Syrian women.

This informal network quickly grew into Syrian Sisters, which now welcomes women from various origins and countries.

The collective meets each week, delivering a feeling of belonging and community for women and children.

It additionally provides language tutoring, driving lessons, sewing workshops, and computer instruction to help women become independent and find work.

One member, Mariam, arrived in the UK from Syria more than a decade ago knowing little English and lacking work experience.

Now she manages the group’s office tasks and acts as a translator for community members.

Syrian Sisters has secured charitable status and operates via donations and collaborations with bodies like Islamic Relief.

One of its major projects involves preparing Ramadan food parcels, which get distributed to struggling families across Oxford.

The organisation also runs a homework club for children, supported by University of Oxford student volunteers who help with science, English, and mathematics.

She pointed out that anyone in the city would mention the wonderful bake sales they organize or social activities for women and children.

The collective works with Damascus Rose Kitchen, an Oxford restaurant fully run and overseen by refugee women.

The restaurant serves as a community hub and a space for women to gain work experience and build confidence.

Maha, the principal server, arrived in the UK at 12 years old and was separated from her family.

She began volunteering with Syrian Sisters and credits her advancement to the collective supporting her master English, financial management, customer service, and other crucial skills.

She said that Maha is customers’ favorite and an exceptionally bright person, adding that if Maha hadn’t found a community at a young age, her parents would have arranged her marriage by then, as that often appears to be a more practical and stable choice for many vulnerable refugee families.

Maha now runs the restaurant and provides for her family, who have since moved to join her in the UK.

She hopes to pursue hospitality management studies and eventually start her own venture.

Syrian Sisters has supported women for 12 years and continues to grow steadily.

Mrs Abdo views the UK as her fresh homeland, though recollections of Syria stay painful because of the conflict and her father’s passing.

She insists the organisation demonstrates the positive impact displaced women can have on Britain when given the chance.

Throughout this, Syrian Sisters shows that refugees, especially women, when given safety, dignity, and assistance, can flourish and adapt to their new surroundings while contributing economic and social value not only to their immediate families but to the wider economy as well.

Some names have been changed to protect individuals’ identities.