When I was growing up in Africa, my mum raised a lot of children that weren’t her own. I think my love of childminding and caring came from her.
I’ve moved a lot through my life and there have been times when I haven’t been treated well. I’ve been sofa surfing on and off since I was 19. I lived with my dad and my step-mum, but there was a lot of fighting. During times that I struggled, they didn’t step in to help me. Because I've moved a lot, I've learned that not everyone can be kind. I want to be the one that is kind. I want to be the one that changes a child's life.
Instability has had a big impact on my mental health, which is terrible at times. I’ve never asked for help - I don’t even know what I would say to my GP. I haven’t approached the Council about my housing either. I just didn’t think I’d be able to get the help. Now, I want to finally get a place of my own.
I’m currently working as a 1:1 support staff member at a school. The kids help to lift my morale and they give me lots of energy. But the work isn't stable, and I don't get paid in the school holidays. I want to progress in the childcare sector and one day start my own charity. I've actually started planning the charity with a friend - we even have a logo!
Putting myself out there with Beam is really exciting. I'm quite an anxious person and I don't speak to people that much, so having that interaction with people here is really amazing.
