In this quarter of our newsletter, I want to focus on the importance of collaboration within and outside of the organisation.

My grandmother always used to say to us growing up ‘Mun Taawanu Ma Ghlibu’ in her village dialect, which means ‘together we will never be defeated’. This has always guided me in the importance of working together, and continues to do so.

Savera UK wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for many people working together, sharing our skills, passion, commitment, knowledge and experience so we could become a leading organisation tackling ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices, while bringing together communities to celebrate diversity and culture.

Therefore, within Savera UK we have and continue to, create a workplace culture and environment that is centred on shared learning and development. This helps bring us together to share opinions and feedback, as well as to gain skills, knowledge and experience. Having a safe space to share and be heard can only be a strength and opens new ways of communication and opportunities to deliver the organisation’s vision and mission.

Savera UK is extremely grateful to all the partners and collaborators we have worked with and continue to develop across all areas. Together we have achieved so much and created a central conversation within Merseyside on the hidden causes of ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices. We continue to speak out and work together towards eradicating these horrific practices from our communities locally, nationally and internationally, by providing a lifesaving support service to those at risk or under threat of ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices.

There is one partnership I am so thankful for that will always remain with me as the moment I realised we were successful. In 2016 The Big Lottery (Violence against Women and Girls Initiative) awarded us our first ever three years of funding and we got chosen from over 500 applicants. At the time I wasn’t sure for how much longer we could continue work on a voluntary basis, especially as demand continued to grow around developing a support service. Receiving the news of us being successful was overwhelming and I could not contain my tears of joy. To finally think someone believed in us and saw the potential of Savera UK! This funding did not just allow us to recruit and develop our 1-1 support service, but helped us step up towards our next stage and opened up many opportunities.

I want to thank every single organisation and individual who collaborated and worked with us. We are always eager to collaborate. Together we can achieve the impossible.

Afrah Qassim

CEO & Founder