Roots to Routes
- Covea Insurance
- Aug 7
- 2 min read
This year, the theme of South Asian Heritage Month is to reflect on journeys to get to where you are today. Whether from ancestral origins to the paths you’ve taken, or something much more recent, and how these experiences shape your identity today.
Read Rahima's story here
"My great-grandad once worked on a ship in America, hoping to find better opportunities overseas. But life there didn’t suit him, so he returned to his village in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, choosing instead to raise his children surrounded by the comforts of home and community.
Years later, his son—my grandad’s brother—became the first in our family to travel to the UK. He arrived on a work visa at a time when Britain was inviting workers from Commonwealth countries to help power its growing textile and manufacturing industries. He got a job at a casting factory in Todmorden, a small town in West Yorkshire. Once he was settled, he called my grandad over too.
When my grandad arrived, he decided to take a different path and focus on his education. He completed a degree in Design and Technology at Leeds Met University and went on to become a qualified teacher, spending many years teaching in schools.
He also volunteered as a special constable, wanting to give back to the community. Though his English wasn’t strong enough at the time to pass the full police exams, he still did what he could to serve and continued teaching, later working as a supply teacher.
My dad, born and raised here in the UK, carried that same determination forward. He studied Computer Science at university but chose to become a Maths teacher—a job he still does with great dedication."
"Growing up with these stories made me appreciate just how much my family sacrificed and how strong they had to be. Their journey showed me the power of education, hard work and the importance of giving back to the people and places that shape us.
I visited my village in Pakistan last August. It was a powerful reminder of how fortunate I am, and of the hard work and sacrifices our ancestors made to give us the life we have today."
