Hikma Naseem (30)
Sydney, Australia

When I think of Kashmir, I think of snow-laden mountains in winter, of wrapping myself in my beautiful pheran with a kangri warming my hands. I think of my father getting warm bread from the kandur early in the morning and getting me the best coal for my kangri. I think of sharing a shalpup with my dad and mum. We would be running around with my friends on Eid, our hands full of bangles and fresh henna, laughing and celebrating Chand Raat together. I think of all the Eidi from my loved ones.Those are the moments that shaped me , little fragments of love, belonging, and culture that I carried with me when I left home.

Coming to Australia was both exciting and daunting. Not many people from my family had ever left Kashmir, and when I arrived here, I didn’t know a single soul. The first few years I buried myself in study, trying to build a future. But deep down, I longed for something more a reminder of who I was, where I came from, the cultural heartbeat that was always around me back home.

That’s when I found Akai.

I still remember my very first Akai experience: an Eid gathering. Walking into that space, I was immediately struck by the sight of people in our cultural dresses  something I rarely had the courage or occasion to wear here in Australia. There was henna, there was singing, and there was food – real Kashmiri food, the kind you can’t find in any restaurant here. The warmth in that room made me feel like I had stepped right back into my childhood. For the first time in a long time, I felt at home.

Since then, Akai has been like a family to me. It has given me friendships that feel deep and genuine, and experiences that I didn’t even realise I was missing. Sitting with Kashmiri women singing traditional songs, celebrating Eid the way we always did back home, sharing dishes that taste of my childhood  these moments have filled a void I didn’t know how to describe before.

But Akai has done something even more powerful for me. It has helped me build a bridge between my past and my present. My husband isn’t Kashmiri, but through Akai he has been able to experience the richness of my culture, the food, the music, the traditions  without us even having to travel back. Watching him embrace and enjoy that part of me has been such a gift.

Looking ahead, I dream that when I have children, they too will grow up with this connection. I want them to know Kashmiri kids, celebrate our traditions, sing our songs, and always feel that sense of belonging  to know that even far away from Kashmir, they still have a piece of home with them.

For me, Akai is more than just an organisation. It’s a community, a family, and a reminder that no matter where we go, home isn’t something we lose  it’s something we carry, and something we rebuild together.