Four students from the School’s Occupational Therapy MSc programme recently partnered with a local charity to organise a fundraising and social integration event which was attended by asylum seekers and refugees.
Onjur Alam, who recently worked a 6-week role emerging placement at Asylum Link Merseyside, worked with the organisation to host a table tennis tournament and raffle which took place on Friday 21st June.
He was assisted in the organisational aspects of the event by his fellow OT students: Testimony Alabi; Nuha Al Rahim and Ayra Yoosufani. Their vision was to create a day which promoted mental wellbeing, integration and friendly competition.
Onjur said: “In doing this, I was influenced by the University of Liverpool’s commitment to global connectivity and local impact.
“By bringing together people from different backgrounds, in a competitive activity, my aim was to promote inclusivity, and mutual learning. For those in the asylum system, who often face limited structure in their day, and limited financial resources this event provides a chance to engage in a meaningful activity, meet new people, and experience the health benefits of physical activity.
“For students, it offered an invaluable insight and interactions with asylum seekers and refugees, and as a healthcare student I can see the advantages of this in my future clinical practice.”
Asylum Link is an organisation dedicated to helping asylum seekers and refugees. They offer a range of services to help those in need including: the provision of food and clothing; housing assistance; English language classes and numerous social integration events and friendship opportunities.
With over 30 attendees, made up of a collection of students from the University of Liverpool and LJMU, staff from Asylum Link Merseyside as well as refugees and asylum seekers, the event was a great success with a lively atmosphere.
The charity’s vision is to build a society where asylum seekers are accepted, understood and welcomed, for the benefit of the whole community which the students support wholeheartedly. International music played throughout the event which added to the sense of togetherness and global community spirit that the organisers were aiming to cultivate.
L-R: Nuha Al Rahim, Testimony Alabi, Christopher (tournament winner) and Onjur Alam.
Onjur described the event as: “A day of joy, sportsmanship, and unity which set the stage for future collaborations and community-building efforts.”
He added: “I see the tournament as more than just a sports event, but also a step towards fostering connection between university students and asylum seekers. Seeing everyone engage positively and build connections was incredibly rewarding and reinforced my belief in the power of community activities.
“Building on the success of this tournament, I discussed with my fellow students how we would like to organise more events like this in the future. We are preparing for the upcoming Freshers Fair, where we hope to establish a Student Action for Refugees (STAR) group for the student society, and book a stand to encourage recruits and volunteers.
“Additionally, we aim to work with the Liverpool Occupational Therapy Society (LOTS) to help foster support for these initiatives from occupational therapy students.”
