About Afghan Association Paiwand Ltd
Run by and for the refugee community, Afghan Association Paiwand Ltd is a charity and community organisation in North West London. For the last 20 years, we have helped refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants to build a happy life in the UK. Showing solidarity with both children and adults, we truly understand the unique and complex set of needs of this community. Get in touch today with any further enquiries.
Charity Number: 1139972 Companies House Number: 6632483
Our Story
In 2002, a group of six friends who had fled conflict in Afghanistan persuaded a local school in Edgware to let them use their school on a Saturday. They set up a place for local refugee parents and children to learn more about their new home.
While the other founding members moved on with their lives, one person consistently worked hard to develop and expand Paiwand. Farid Mall stayed with us for 16 years, dedicating all this time to changing one small classroom into an organisation that serves over 2,000 people coming from all over the world across North West London.
At the end of 2017, we said goodbye to our beloved leader, Farid. The whole community wishes him the best in his joyful future venture. Here at Paiwand, we will continue in our mission to help and support refugees and vulnerable asylum seekers to settle and thrive in a different environment.
Our Team
Chair
Fahima Zaheen
Chief Executive Officer
Fahima gained higher qualifications in Media and Sociology from Southbank University, and in Politics and Social Sciences from Birkbeck University in 2014. Fahima has been involved in the charity and community sector since 2006, advocating for refugees and asylum seekers for in different capacities. In addition to her freelance work, she has had posts with the Embassy of the Republic of Afghanistan in London, Danish Refugee Council and Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Afghan Association Paiwand, supporting refugees and asylum seekers with similar experiences to her own back in the 90s onwards.
Project Managers
Asya Tawqeer
Community Advocacy Project Advisor
Ramzia Akbari
Mental Health Counsellor MBACP & Project Manager
Ramzia is trained in Therapeutic counselling with the Islamic counselling model and works as a senior counsellor at Paiwand providing faith and culturally sensitive one-to-one counselling sessions, as well as seasonal group work. She has experience working with common issues such as anxiety, stress, relationship issues, depression, PTSD, grief, bereavement, postnatal depression, low self-esteem (etc.) and conducts these sessions in Dari/Farsi and English. Ramzia is a member of the BACP and adheres to its Ethical Framework.
Zubair Yosufi
Housing Project Manager
Zubair has been providing safe and structured accommodation for young refugees at Paiwand for the past 1 year. By sharing the same socio-cultural background with the young people, Zubair has helped to establish a strong rapport and climate of trust. Zubair speaks Farsi, Dari, Pashto, Turkish and Urdu.
Masumah Mojaddedi
Education Project Manager
Masumah joined Paiwand as Project Manager in 2023 previously working as a volunteer and session worker with Paiwand.
Ms Christine Bacon and Mr Mansoor Kamranzai
Immigration Legal Advisors
Mr Mohammad Iqbal
Operations Manager
Staff
Vidya Mulane
Administrator
Vidya achieved a joint honours degree in Commerce & Computer Science; she is a multifaceted office professional with an extensive background in Accounting & IT. Here at Paiwand, Vidya is hardworking and versatile Administrative Officer with proven organizational skills and thorough knowledge of corporate policies and procedures, excellent communication and people skills.
Vacant
Volunteer Coordinator
Abdul Latif Matin
Senior Community Advocate
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Volunteers
Vacant
Volunteer Researcher and Journalist
Victoria Ahmadi
Administrator and Receptionist at Saturday School & Advocate
Victoria holds a BA International Management degree at Middlesex university and joined Paiwand in 2017. She works in Stag Lane Saturday School as an administrator/receptionist and also works as an advocate with the Afghan Resettlement.
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Our Values
With a dedicated team of expert staff and volunteers, we support the refugee community across North West London. Our key values are:
Our Services
Paiwand provides a variety of services for adults and children in the community, including a Saturday school where classes range from Pashto and Dari to maths and English. We also provide support for teenagers who are living in the UK alone and adults who have a range of issues, including:
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Helping Young Refugees to Gain Work Experience
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Providing Space to Host Workshops
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Employee Volunteering
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Fundraising Events and Donations