Cycling Offers Renewed Hope to Refugee in New Country

An image depicts a small orange bicycle moving through a park, adorned with vibrant balloons tied to its rear and flowers placed in a makeshift front basket, set against a colourful backdrop. While appearing as a cheerful scene, for 37-year-old Nahla Abdulla, its significance extends far beyond mere pleasantness. Nahla came to Glasgow having escaped the conflict devastating her native Sudan. Her arrival coincided with the pandemic, a period characterized by limitations rather than opportunities for social engagement. For half a year, separated from her entire family still in Sudan, she was unable to establish contact with members of the local Sudanese community, leading to profound feelings of isolation. Subsequently, she found cycling. She stated, “In my culture in Sudan, it’s forbidden for girls to cycle.” She added, “I thought just learning to do it would be a good challenge. But it helped get a sense of belonging, I saw there were many things to see in this city, many beautiful buildings, and it pushed me to go out”. This experience served as a catalyst for a positive transformation in her life in Scotland, which explains her decision to include that vividly coloured bicycle model in her Box of Hope. Nahla is among several refugees and asylum seekers participating in the Box of Hope exhibition, hosted at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum and Art Galleries. As part of the Mental Health Foundation project, participants meticulously crafted and adorned boxes to symbolize their sources of hope. Themes such as singing, valuing trees and nature, and finding solace in faith are all depicted across the various decorated containers. The Glasgow-based charity, Sunny Cycles, provided assistance to Nahla in learning to cycle. This organization conducts sessions designed to encourage diverse individuals to embrace cycling, with specific programs available for asylum seekers. Witnessing the profound impact of this support on Nahla has been both humbling and moving for Carol Thompson, the project manager at Sunny Cycles. She expressed her feelings about Nahla’s artistic contribution, stating, “It’s so heartwarming to know that that is the impact you had on someone, and as a group that’s what we can do for someone , and we can help other people do it as well,”. Nahla stated that acquiring the skill of cycling contributed to restoring her self-confidence, facilitating new friendships, and enabling her to discover a community. Nahla has since been granted refugee status and is currently employed by a charity that assists other women from ethnic minority backgrounds. She openly advocates for the advantages of cycling and motivates the women she supports to try it, remarking, “It made me happier, it helps physically and mentally and emotionally”. This illustrates the transformative power of acquiring a new ability in an unfamiliar environment. Consequently, that model of a small orange bicycle symbolizes Nahla’s beacon of hope. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.