My happiness comes from my faith, my children and my family. They are all amazing. I also really love swimming.
My housing troubles started when my cousin moved out of the apartment that we were both renting. I ended up having to cover their portion of the rent. I was working at the time so it wasn't too bad and I was managing. However, when Covid hit I was pregnant and with a 2-year-old son to look after, so I had to stop working. I couldn't pay for my rent without an income, so I applied for universal credit.
Shortly after having my now 6-month-old twin girls, our landlord served us an eviction notice as he wanted to sell the house. This is when I first approached Greenwich Council for some support. They're the ones who referred me to Beam. While the pandemic has been terrible for a number of reasons, it has also been a bit of a blessing in disguise because the eviction restrictions that have been put in place are allowing me more time to look into housing options. I am now looking for a more suitable place that my children and I can call home. Our current place, while being a two-bed, is too small, very cold and has a few ventilation issues that cause mould.
While all of this is incredibly stressful, it isn't the biggest obstacle I've faced. In 2016 I had a stillbirth. I was 6 months pregnant at the time and it was a really difficult situation. My friends and my church community really supported me through that time. I've been blessed with 3 other beautiful children since that point, but I will always remember my first baby. This is another reason that I want to provide my children with the best home I can, so they can always be safe.
When my girls are old enough, I eventually want to go into compliance in accounting. Having this skillset would mean that I would be contributing to society well. I would be an educator of sorts telling people who might not be fully aware of all the legal things they have to comply with in business and finance.
My dream for the future is to be able to support my beautiful family. I want to be in a stable environment with people that I love and that love me. I also want to be able to give back to other people in need because I know what it's like to need some support.
It feels exciting and overwhelming to know that people are willing to support me to get where I need to be. Not everyone that is in the position to help others does, and so to know that people want to think beyond themselves makes me feel really happy, really seen and really proud of the humanity people have within themselves.
Launching my Beam campaign means I'm getting closer to my dreams. It's been a long process, but I feel like I'm getting there and I'll be able to give my family everything I've ever wanted to give them soon enough.