“Following my
heart is how I live my life. Sometimes it’s really easy, and other times it is
challenging and terrifying, but by placing my trust in life itself, the most
incredible opportunities and experiences have opened-up.”
“And when I can’t
hear my heart, I know the most important thing is to get into a position where
I can, and then I listen and the answer becomes clear.”
This is Emily
Brett, yoga teacher and founder of Ourmala; a small charity in London that helps refugee and
asylum-seeking women find strength through yoga. The main group they work with are
registered with the UK Home Office to seek refuge in the UK.
I met with Emily
at Ourmala’s headquarters, a converted shipping container overlooking the
trees, field and pig pen at Hackney City Farm in East London.
Emily has changed
the lives of more than 170 refugee and asylum-seeking women living in London since
starting-up in 2011. Ourmala now has a waiting list of women wanting to
practice yoga and organisations that work with refugees wanting yoga classes at
their centres.
I wanted to understand Emily's story, motivation and actions behind her grand vision.
I wanted to understand Emily's story, motivation and actions behind her grand vision.
 |
| Photography by Carl Bigmore |
You have created something really special; a space for
women who have been forcibly displaced to enjoy yoga. Can you tell me more
about the situation for these women?
“Sure, I’d love to… Many don’t realise, but the refugee
and asylum-seeking community is one of the most marginalised,
under-represented, impoverished, vulnerable and stigmatised in the UK. Eighty
per cent of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing countries. In the UK,
refugees, pending asylum cases and stateless people make-up only 0.27% of the
total population (Source: UNHCR 2012 Global Trends Report.)
The women are here to seek refuge and, for most, the
situation is dire. I mean, incredibly tough. Many are dealing with mental,
emotional and physical issues from the trauma they faced in their home
countries. Torture, sexual violence, human trafficking and female genital
mutilation are common experiences.
When they arrive in London, they often know no one and are
faced with huge language barriers, poverty, malnutrition, over-crowded or unstable
accommodation. For a single person, the National Asylum Seeking Support is
£36.62 a week which obviously does not go very far in London.
I’ve asked women what they do during the day, and a not
uncommon answer has been: ‘Sit on a bench in the park… or pray in my room….’
Many are separated from their loved ones, which can
include not knowing whether they are alive.”
