When I’m working with the young people, I see so much of my younger self in them, and I want to be the person for them that my Programme Lead was for me.
“I was referred to the Teens and Toddlers programme to get me out of my shell and talking to more people. I had two friends at school but I didn’t go out of my way to make new friends or connect with anyone. My teachers would always see me alone in the library.
“I was from a low-income family and my peers at school couldn’t relate which meant I isolated myself even more.”
“I remember there was this one instance where I didn’t have money for lunch and one of my peers asked me if I wanted to use the money on their card to buy lunch. I remember being very embarrassed and I told them that I would have dinner when I got home. I stayed in the library a lot to avoid talking to people about not eating lunch. I othered myself before they othered me.”
In the first few sessions of Teens and Toddlers, Zainab was encouraged to push herself outside of her comfort zone by Dawn, her Programme Lead. Dawn worked with Zainab on finding ways to build her confidence and to become more assertive.
At first, I remember being very uncomfortable because I was with people I didn’t know.
Dawn was amazing. She was the one that got me out of my comfort zone the most. She was all about teamwork and getting us to do activities. She would always pick me to read things out in the sessions and she would ask me questions because she knew I was quite shy. Eventually I learned to go with the flow because I knew she was trying to make me a more confident person.
During the programme, Zainab was paired with a younger child who was full of energy and loved getting involved in activities. The relationship they built helped inspire Zainab to believe in herself more.
“One day my mentee was playing outside in water with her friends. I remember asking her, ‘Aren’t you afraid that you’re going to get wet?’ and she said to me, ‘I’m having fun, that’s all that matters.’ That really resonated with me because I thought why does it matter what people think of me or how they perceive me? It made me realise the only thing that matters is how I feel.”
“I realised that all my life I’d always gone with how people feel and I’d never put myself out there. If I thought someone’s opinion was better than mine, I wouldn’t share my opinion. That moment with my mentee was a breakthrough and felt like a lightbulb moment.”
“By the end of the programme, I was so confident, headstrong and I had a go-getter attitude.”
Zainab’s experience on the programme inspired her to work in the youth sector. The programme made her want to give back to other young people facing the same challenges that she once did.
“Without Dawn or my friends on the programme, I would have never become the person I am now. And it made me want to give back. I felt like I had a duty to give back.”
“Being a Programme Assistant at Power2 has been phenomenal. I wouldn’t change this job for the world. I love how fulfilling it is.”
“When I’m working with the young people, I see so much of my younger self in them, and I want to be the person for them that my Programme Lead was for me. By the end of the programme, they’re so much more confident with their feelings and emotions – just like I was.”
