Watch: Beautiful video of little girl from Afghanistan singing in Welsh
A year and a half ago hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan were welcomed to Wales, after the Taliban took control of the country.
Many were offered temporary accommodation at an Urdd camp – and now one of the girls who stayed there has been competing in a an area eisteddfod over the weekend.
The clip was shared by the chief executive of the Urdd, Sian Lewis, who said that the girl and her family had to leave their homeland 19 months ago.
“For five months, with 112 other refugees, they stayed at the Cardiff Urdd Camp,” she said.
“And after leaving, enrolled their children in Welsh education.”
In a statement provided by the Urdd, the parents of Nargis, who is eight years old, said: “We are so happy that our children have had the opportunity to learn Welsh and have a Welsh education.
“We were also so proud of Nargis singing on her own, and also with the school choir at the Eisteddfod yesterday.
“Since we arrived in Wales we have been so welcomed by the people of Wales, and the Urdd has been a great help to us.
“Wales is our country now and we want to be part of Welsh culture.”
19 months ago this little girl & her family fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s invasion🇦🇫
Along with 112 other refugees they stayed at the Urdd centre & after leaving enrolled their children in Welsh Lang Ed
Yesterday she competed at @Urdd area Eisteddfod👏 #UrddiBawb pic.twitter.com/UoVslKVmFy
— Sian Lewis (@sianjobbins) March 19, 2023
The Urdd last year received a St David Award for welcoming people fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan.
The award was given for exemplifying Wales’ Nation of Sanctuary approach by providing support and safety to people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine.
In 2021 the organisation opened up its residential centre in the shadow of the Welsh Parliament to more than 100 children and families as part of the Afghan resettlement scheme.
The Urdd’s best practice is now being implemented again, through use of a residential centre to support up to 250 people arriving from Ukraine.
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Now this is something to be proud of. I want our country to be welcoming of refugees and them to feel accepted. It benefits us as a country.
Another example where foreigners care more about the language than the indigenous population and inter-Nationalists. Pob lwc iddi.
That’s because they haven’t suffered through generations upon generations of propaganda. You can’t argue how Wales have been treated with anyone over 50! All they ever revert to is…”But We fought a World War together”.
Some of us over 50 were prevented from studying Welsh in a Welsh school. I was told I had to take Latin in 1963 as I was in an “academic stream”.
Yeah, the “Classical” languages, and history in general are often put on a pedestal over native languages and History. unfortunately, most were fine with it…and worse, still are.