Nickpai’s Story: Building a New Life in Inverness

After leaving Afghanistan and spending time in Turkey, Khairullah Nickpai arrived in Inverness focused on building a stable new life for his family.

Joining the Wide Horizons | Community Integration programme offered him an opportunity to improve his English, understand Scottish culture and begin building connections in his new city.

When Khairullah Nickpai speaks about his life now, he tends to begin with the present: his family, his children in school, and the job he is about to start.

Nickpai lives in Inverness with his wife and four children; three daughters and one son. His children are settling into school, and his wife is learning English while also developing sewing skills that may lead to work in the future.

These everyday details matter to him because they represent stability – something that was missing for several years before the family arrived in Scotland.

Nickpai came to Scotland in June 2025, after a period living in Turkey with his family.

Life there was uncertain. Without formal documentation or government support, the future often felt unclear. When the family finally arrived in the UK, the change was immediate.

“In Turkey we don’t have document and don’t have support from the government,” he explains. “When we come to the UK… now we have a document.”

That shift brought a sense of security that had been missing for a long time.

Still, starting again in a new country came with its own challenges. Nickpai describes the first months as a period of adjustment – learning a new language, adapting to unfamiliar customs and, as he jokes, getting used to the Scottish weather.

“When a person or family starts a new life in a different country, in the first it is a little difficult,” he says.

Support from local organisations, and Highland Council in particular, helped the family settle. In Inverness, they were connected with other Afghan families and supported by local staff who helped them navigate services and community life.

Nickpai first heard about the Wide Horizons programme through adult learning support staff who encouraged him to take part. He joined with clear intentions:

“I want to join this program for learning English, for knowing about the culture of the UK, especially Scotland,” he expressed.

The programme, delivered by Social Enterprise Academy in partnership with New Start Highland, and in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and Highland Council, was designed to support refugees and migrants in Inverness to build confidence, practise English, develop agency and connect with their local community.

For Nickpai, the opportunity to learn alongside others in similar situations was immediately valuable.

Some of the most useful parts of the programme were the practical experiences that helped participants understand their surroundings.

Participants visited different places in the city, including Inverness Castle, met representatives from local organisations and spent time exploring how community services operate. They also cooked Scottish food together and shared experiences of adapting to life in a new country.

These activities helped Nickpai build a clearer picture of the place he now calls home – geographically, culturally and socially.

“It’s very useful for learning… for knowing about the local people and the culture,” he reflects.

The programme also introduced participants to the idea of volunteering, something that was culturally unfamiliar.

“In the past, Afghan people don’t know about volunteering,” he explains.

Understanding how volunteering works, and how it can connect people to opportunities and communities, was a new perspective.

Nickpai has since applied to volunteer with a local organisation and hopes to contribute when his schedule allows.

One of the most significant developments in Nickpai’s life since joining the programme is employment.

He has recently secured a job at Tesco in Inverness, which he expects to begin soon.

Finding work is an important milestone. It signals a shift from settling in to building something more permanent for his family.

Nickpai has also taken what he learned during the programme back to the wider Afghan community in Inverness.

When meeting other Afghan families, he often talks about the programme and the information it provides – from understanding local organisations to learning about volunteering and community activities.

“When we meet Afghan people, we say about the programme… about Scottish food, Inverness city, Inverness area, about volunteering,” he explains.

In doing so, he has helped others discover opportunities they may not have known about before.

When reflecting on the programme, Nickpai is thoughtful about what it offered. The experience helped him meet new people, practise English and understand the structures that shape daily life in the Highlands.

He does have one suggestion – he would have liked the programme to last longer.

“I think the programme is a little short,” he says.

Still, the connections made during the programme remain meaningful. When it ended, he admits it felt strange not seeing the facilitators and classmates he had come to know over the weeks.

“If there is another programme I would join, and my wife also. I want to say thank you to the donor of this programme, for the support people, for the people of the United Kingdon.”

The next stage of life in Inverness for Nickpai and his family is already taking shape – through work, community connections and the everyday routines of family life.

For Nickpai, these steps are part of learning how to belong in a new place and building a future for his children.

Nickpai’s experience was part of the Wide Horizons | community integration programme in Inverness, delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy in partnership with New Start Highland and in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and Highland Council’s Adult Learning Team.

This work reflects Social Enterprise Academy’s mission to develop people as agents of change in their communities; equipping individuals like Nickpai with the confidence, skills and connections to shape their own futures and contribute to the places they now call home, with rippling impact.

Funded by the Highland Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund for Adults, the programme brought together refugees and migrants to practise English, build confidence and connect with local organisations as they begin to build their lives in the Highlands.

For more information, please contact programme manager Elsa Vibert, [email protected]