Interested in connecting with the ambassadors? Get in touch by emailing media@imix.org.uk

Meet the Ghafouri sisters!
Region: Carlisle

We are Rozma, Roma, Mozhgan and Resalat Ghafduri – four Afghan sisters who came to the UK as refugees in 2022 although not directly. We fled the Taliban in 1990s and grew up as refugees in Iran where our love of football enabled us to work with UNHCR to develop a football team and educational programme for young refugees forced out of education and into work. The team and programme led our eldest sister, Rozma, becoming the Asia Regional Winner of the Nansen Refugee Award in 2020 for her work managing the project. This is an important award given by the UNHCR to a person or organisation in recognition of their outstanding service for those who are displaced or refugees. Here in the UK we hope to improve our lives, our education and achieve our dreams of playing in the English Football League. We all have football coaching qualifications, and two of us currently play for Carlisle United Ladies in the Andrea Buggy Women’s League. We’ve also opened our own beauty salon in our adopted home of Carlisle called 4 Sisters Beauty Salon and we hope that as Refugee Week Ambassadors we can continue some of the work we did in Iran with UNHCR.

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Meet Hamzeh Al Hussien
Region: Newcastle

I am Hamzeh Al Hussien from Syria. I was the winner of the 2023 North East Culture Award for Best Newcomer for my solo theatre show Penguin. I am a disabled artist from Syria who arrived in Gateshead, North East England five years ago as part of the UK’s Syrian Resettlement Programme. I was first introduced to performing during my six years in Za’atari refugee camp. I am really passionate about acting and want to become a star in horror films. In my free time I always go swimming. I sometimes go to Angel of the North sitting there for hours listening to music in my headphone. My dream is to become a well-known actor and motivational speaker in front of thousands people to tell them my story, what I’ve been through and what I’ve achieved.

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Meet Olha!
Region: West Yorkshire

My name is Olha; I am a Ukrainian refugee, fleeing the Russian war and now living in West Yorkshire, UK. In my previous peaceful life, I worked as an editor for one of the largest Ukrainian TV channels. My days were bustling with amazing people, ambitious projects and exciting plans for the future. However, the war has turned everything upside down. Living in my cosy apartment in Kyiv, I could never have imagined that one day I would flee with my twin daughters, my mum and just one bag each to escape the bombs and missiles. Nor could I have imagined that the place I once dreamt of visiting with my kids as tourists would become our sweet and hospitable home abroad. I am happy to see the stunning hills and moors of West Yorkshire every day. I always considered myself a city girl, but now I genuinely love living in the countryside. Here, in the beautiful and captivating Brontë country, I have found a renewed sense of life and am learning to appreciate it again. I am particularly drawn to the community spirit and commitment to diversity upheld by the locals. I want the British people to know who the Ukrainians are, what is our culture and history. I have a strong passion for various creative hobbies, with traditional Ukrainian Petrykivka painting being one of my favorites – an art enlisted as UNESCO intangible heritage. I love travelling and dream of visiting every corner of the UK. My life outside of work is a tapestry woven with threads of creativity, exploration, and a deep appreciation for the diverse cultural and natural wonders that surround me.

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Meet Shams Moussa!
Region: Newcastle

I am a community champion, campaigner, and advocate. I have extensive experience with lived experience of the asylum system, so I am well placed to support a wide range of organisations with a focus on people seeking sanctuary. I campaigned to get access to English classes for asylum seekers at Darlington College and have been engaged with the local council to become a Local Authority of Sanctuary. I volunteer with both local and nationwide institutions as an Advisory, Trustee or Director capacity.

I have extensive experience as an IT expert. I have completed Foundation Courses on Computer Sciences including Artificial Intelligence, Data Analysis, and Cybersecurity at Teesside University. During the pandemic, I used my skills to better the life of many local families by taking donations of old digital devices which I then fixed and passed onto local families, refugees and asylum seekers and the wider community, so that children could access online education and families could stay in contact. I am co-chair of Tees Valley of Sanctuary, and currently employed at Walking With in North Tyneside as Project Coordinator for the Health and Wellbeing service supporting my peers.

As it is election year, I am campaigning for political parties in England to recognise the basic human rights of refugees to be able to have a say about who will govern them at least on local level. ‘The key to immortality is to leave a life and legacy of helping others’.

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Meet Aung Phyo aka, Bushee!
Region: Newcastle

First of all, I am profoundly honoured but deeply humbled to be one of the ambassadors for Refugee Week UK 2024. I take this role seriously and with pride. I was born and raised in Myanmar (Burma). I am a former medical student who came to the UK to expand my education and knowledge about healthcare and science. I had nothing but a glamorous hope for my future until the military coup that happened in 2021. Ever since then, I’ve been forced to abandon my studies and become an asylum seeker in the UK.

Throughout the process, I’ve met a lot of people and organisations working with asylum seekers and refugees. I have taken part in activities like volunteering, interviews and public speaking with several organisations and community groups. I shared my story and what I’ve been through while listening to others as well because our voices needed to be heard.

I am a singer-songwriter and I play regularly in open mic nights around Newcastle where I live.

As an ambassador for Refugee Week UK 2024, I stand in solidarity with refugees worldwide, advocating for their rights, dignity, and inclusion in our community. Let us celebrate their resilience, contributions and the rich tapestry of culture they bring while fostering empathy and understanding in a world where compassion knows no borders.

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Meet Nico Ndlovu!
Region: Scotland

My name is Nico Ndlovu, a Zimbabwean who has lived in Glasgow since 2010 as an asylum seeker. I am a comedian and podcast producer of inspiring stories. I have experience in empowering asylum seekers and refugees for our voices to be heard using a podcast as a tool to share stories. I have been a volunteer in various projects and charities that work with asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland and London. The best work I did was with NACCOM as a volunteer and being part of the Community Researchers on a homelessness for over two years which was published last year. Amazing work. Refugee Week means a lot to me. As an Ambassador for 2024 I would like to make a change for others by empowering them with my own life story and all the experiences I taught myself while waiting for the Home Office’s decisions on my case. I always say don’t just sit down and wait to do something about your talent. My wish this year is for peace around the world, to stop stupid wars and be kind to each to each other.

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Meet Ibrahim Kamara!
Region: Scotland

My name is Ibrahim Kamara originally from Sierra Leone. I arrived in the UK in 2021. I was part of the Great Govanhill – Radio Buena Vida Sounds of Refugee Voices radio show and also BBC Radio 4: The Food Programme – Glasgow: Seeking Asylum and Finding Refuge in Food. The Food Programme won the Scottish Refugee Media Awards in 2023 in the Radio category.

I was working as a radio presenter and reporter back in Sierra Leone. I was so passionate about bringing people together and organising events in my community, particularly for people with dwarfism and those who are less privileged as well as advocating for human rights. Since I arrived in the UK I have been busy working on my asylum case and volunteering for different organisations like Poverty Reduction, Migrant Voices, LGBT Unity and LGBT Health and Wellbeing. I am a member of House Ball Scotland. I am always talking about issues affecting asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. As a Refugee Week Ambassador this year I would like to share my experiences and inspire and learn from others.

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Meet Hein!
Region: London

I am Hein, from Burma, who is currently a refugee in the UK. I am a Refugee Week ambassador to highlight the issues that we refugees face and share my journey with you.

Despite borders and cultural differences, I am a human being just like you. I like to game, watch endless reality TV shows (I love Drag Race), crochet, play badminton, and nap. With constant dehumanization from the government, I feel quite down, but I am here as an ambassador to show that we are humans and worthy of happiness, just like everyone else.

I am a digital campaigner and fundraiser who wants to support marginalised groups. I worked in casework, education, LGBTQ+, and refugee organisations. I created the Pride Project at Refugee Action, creating short videos about LGBTQ+ refugees and the problems they face in the UK asylum system.

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Interesting in connecting with the ambassadors? Get in touch: media@imix.org.uk

Photography credit: Scarlett Novoa