Rationale
Kaweyan International is a community interest company limited by guarantee registered with the Company House under company number 14675531 offering a range of services and solutions to refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and displaced people in the UK. Kaweyan seeks to enable migrants and displaced people to integrate successfully and with dignity in the society and economy of the host nations and to enable them to realize their full self-worth and achieve economic independence in a foreign society and culture.
We seek to achieve our goals through programs focused on training in business and entrepreneurship, enterprise development and civil and legal awareness. We link with providers of intensive local language courses, computer literacy courses, and post trauma support. What sets-us apart is our focus on promoting true economic independence and sustainability among immigrants – especially women and young girls.
Our Mission
Our mission is to enable migrants, refugees and displaced people in the UK to look ahead and move beyond government support services and programs through well-designed and effective economic empowerment and entrepreneurship interventions, enabling them to participate effectively in the economy of the host country, generate income and employment for themselves and others, gain dignity and give back to the society that has supported them in their time of need.
Strategy
Building bridges and partnerships is at the core of Kaweyan’s strategy for supporting migrants in the UK. We are close to our target clients and have a first-hand understanding of the needs of migrants. With the combined experience of our team and founders, we seek to facilitate the easy integration of migrants in their host countries by providing a range of direct support services as well as building bridges between migrants and specialized local authorities and different service providers. We also provide much-needed hand-holding support to migrants who face a number of challenges in finding direction in their new lives in host communities.
Our Initiative
Association of Leading Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs (ALIWE)
The team of Kaweyan has been working with immigrant women since its inception in January 2023. It has conducted discussions and surveys among immigrant women and found that immigrant women find it difficult to integrate into the labor market of UK since there are several gaps and barriers like qualification, language and experience. While the women are educated, their skills and education do not meet the requirements of the UK market. Through several rounds of Focus Group Discussions with immigrant women we have found that immigrant women understand that business and entrepreneurship can provide a viable means for income generation. Many women came forward and presented their business ideas at the FGDs organized by Kaweyan. After discussions and evaluation, Kaweyan identified a core group of eight immigrant women entrepreneurs. These women either already have a small business or they have strong and sustainable business idea in different sectors like catering, security, cleaning and beauty. Kaweyan has organized these women into a group named Association of Leading Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs. Kaweyan is now working to help these immigrant women in launching their businesses.