I've always felt that children are a blessing and should be treated as such. I feel such joy when I see happy children having new experiences and reaching new milestones. I can't wait to start working and professionally developing in this sector. I'm so motivated to leave a positive impact on people's lives. I know how important it is for children to have a good foundation in their development.
I became homeless in 2017 just a few months after my daughter was born. I was asked to leave my accommodation because there wasn't enough room for both of us there. The property was also filled with damp and mould so wasn't the safest place to be. I was waiting to hear back about my immigration status as my leave to remain hadn't been granted yet. When I approached friends for help I was turned down. I had so many fears because I knew that we were vulnerable. We ended up sleeping on the floor in a church until one kind lady took us in. I took the opportunity to approach the social services for help and that's when things started to improve for us. An organisation also stepped in to help with my immigration application and I was granted my leave to remain! Being homeless was one of the worst experiences of my life. Everything from the general instability to not knowing where you're going to lay your head at night is all the more frightening and frustrating with a newborn.
My personal childhood experience was quite a traumatic one. I grew up in a polygamous family and was sent to live with an aunt who was very abusive towards me. Despite all the hardships I faced in my childhood, I count it as joy because I've been inspired to go into a profession where I can safeguard children. It's my goal to one day have my own nursery where I can support children through such a critical stage of development. For now, I'm just excited to learn and have the opportunity to work in my dream job role.
Margaret is working with Beam because she's been homeless in the last year.
