My grandmother has always been such an inspiration to me. She used to work in the beauty sector and that was what first got me fascinated by all things beauty. The best feeling in the world to me is being a mother, but I really enjoy making people feel good within themselves. I now want to build my career in a field where I know I'm helping people feel happy and more confident in themselves.
I became homeless in 2012 when my grandmother passed away. I was 6 months pregnant at the time and was finding it difficult to get help with housing. I stayed at my grandmothers because it was my home, but quickly found that I was struggling with paying the rent after the bedroom tax came into effect. It was a three bedroom property and one of the rooms wasn't filled. Facing homelessness as a pregnant woman is scary and you don't know what's going to happen next. It really impacts your quality of life and shakes up all that you thought was secure.
My support system is based here in London, but I was offered temporary accommodation out in a remote part of Essex. I stayed there with my son for six years and it was really tough not being close to my family or friends. Fortunately I've been moved back to London now and things are looking up. My main motivation to get back into work is my son. I just want to do what I love and be able to provide my son with the best possible quality of life. I want to be the best example to him that I can be.
My sister Sabrina first told me about Beam and I'm excited to also have this opportunity. In a couple of years time I see myself working in the beauty sector whilst also having continued my beauty therapy studies. The dream is to gain my advanced aesthetics qualifications. I also hope to be in permanent accommodation so that I’m able to give my child a stable and comfortable living situation. I’m just really looking forward to gaining knowledge in a field I’m so passionate about.