Fatima Begum

I’m 27 and working as a teaching assistant in a lower school and as an admin assistant at Bedfordshire Race and Equalities Council. In 2010 I completed my NVQ Apprenticeship in children’s care and learning and development. I have always been passionate about working in the community to help others to increase their participation in society and I hope someday to become an inspirational leader.

I had kidney transplant in June 2009, prior to this I had been on dialysis from 2004. Going through the dialysis and the transplant, plus few ups and downs with the treatment (including facing discrimination due to my condition), has helped me realise that no matter what happens with your life if you have the will and motivation to do something, you can do whatever you want! Since my transplant I have been involved in a number of community projects including The Acorn Project, Census 2011, Women Making a Difference, Bedford Borough Assembly Conference 2011, and Bedfordshire Women's Forum’s (BWF) Empowering Women Conference and Beat the Credit Crunch event. Currently, I am the secretary of BWF and Queens Park Women's Forum. My Social Action Project is called ‘Brand4Bedford’. Through this campaign we aim to raise awareness about the diverse cultures and cultural heritage of Bedford to other towns and to communities within Bedford itself.

My greatest inspiration is Lila Begum because even though she is a mother, wife, and working women, she still manages to find time for people who are in need of help. In spite of the challenges that women have to face in our culture, she still manages to do what she does, and has, for example, set up a charity helping and giving opportunities to women.