A Salford-based businesswoman is using her experiences after leaving Syria to create digital literacy workshops for refugees and asylum seekers.
The workshops are used to prevent the online scams, and has been launched by Alaa Alsewid.,29, through Social By Design that aims to equip refugees and asylum seekers with essential digital skills.
Social by Design is a research and consultancy agency that hosts workshops, 1:1 support and a digital community platform in Arabic, Spanish and English to support and equip those at risk.
Through the launch of the workshops, Alaa hopes to overcome barriers to accessing support services, improve employment prospects, foster connections and build awareness around scams and fraud.
As the 29-year-old said: “The idea of the digital workshops as part of Social By Design first came to mind for me as I saw Facebook posts from Syrian migrants about how they had been victims of scams, they were being told if you don’t do as they say, they could be deported.
“It really upset me that the most vulnerable communities were being targeted, they were terrified and without the language and digital skills did not know what to do or who to turn to.
“Refugees and asylum seekers in Salford, Manchester and the surrounding areas face significant barriers to digital literacy, which limits access to support and health services, increases challenges searching for and securing employment and increases isolation and risk of vulnerability to fraud and financial abuse.”
She continued: “Our aim is to empower and give knowledge about basic digital literacy skills that a lot of people don’t have the privilege to know how to do.
“They just use the phone to make calls, and this is just because they didn’t have someone to tell them how to do these things.
“They feel like this is like a big black hole in their lives they don’t want to enter, and they are still afraid of using tech. These skills will change their quality of life and integration into a new community.”
Alaa arrived in the UK in 2019 from Syria to do a masters degree in Media and Public Relations after holding a bachelors degree in engineering.
She also volunteered with charities and international development organisations while still in Syria to support internationally displaced people.
Social By Design has been made possible after successfully gaining £8,000 from the Funding Futures Programme, which Alaa has described as ‘life-changing’.
The Funding Futures Programme (a joint fund from Unltd, Co-op Foundation and Phoenix Group) was set up to support young social entrepreneurs working in the areas of financial inclusion and literacy.
And has been supporting 16-30 year olds with great ideas for solutions to help those sidelined by the financial system.
Following the contribution of £8,000, Mark Norbury, CEO of UnLtd, said: “Alaa has drawn on her personal experience to develop a brilliant solution for her community.
“She’s going to make life better for generations to come. This is why we designed the programme with young people – and why their impact and potential are so exciting.
“Our entrepreneurs’ insights and experiences will shape impactful solutions today to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.”
He continued: “She has drawn on her personal experience to develop a brilliant solution for her community. She’s going to make life better for generations to come.”
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