Yusrah – For Those Left Behind
To help support our local community, we offer culturally-sensitive support services at St Joseph’s Hospice including our Yusrah group, a dedicated space for Muslim women experiencing grief.
The Culture of Dying Matters
It’s Dying Matters Awareness Week and this year’s theme, The Culture of Dying Matters, invites us to reflect on how different cultures in the UK understand and talk about death. At St Joseph’s Hospice, we provide culturally-sensitive support that reflects the needs of our local community and boroughs we serve.
Our Yusrah group is a safe and understanding space for Muslim women who are dealing with grief and loss.
Yusrah
The group was founded by Eyarun, our Compassionate Neighbour’s Coordinator, after she identified a need for additional support for Muslim women through her work with Compassionate Neighbours. She noticed that Muslim women often faced different challenges in grief, sometimes feeling the strain of having to explain their culture to those who didn’t understand. Yusrah provides a comfortable, understanding environment where women can share their experiences freely and privately.
Eyarun invited Shaistah, our Social Work Assistant, to join her in hosting the group because of her skills and experience. The Yusrah group, created in partnership with Eden Care UK (Part of 13 Rivers Trust), has now been running for a year.
Yusrah is a small, intimate group, typically meeting in groups of no more than six. Many group members speak Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, and other languages, so most attendees don’t require a translator, but one can be available on request if needed.
Eyarun named the group ‘Yusrah’, as this is a female Arabic name which translates to ‘ease’ or ‘comfort’, making it a perfect fit.
The Yusrah meetings are not counselling sessions, instead Yusrah offers peer-to-peer support. Eyarun, Shaistah, and other Hospice staff who attend also share their personal experiences, everyone at Yusrah is treated as an equal. We are each on our own journey, so the group is a judgment-free place where Muslim women can support each other with any challenges related to death and grief.
Come along!
If you are interested in joining our future Yusrah groups, please contact Eyarun at e.choudhury@stjh.org.uk or Shaistah at s.ahmed@stjh.org.uk