Abdulhakeem

A new country

Abdulhakeem is an 18-year-old who recently moved to the UK from his home country of Sudan. He currently attends a college in Birmingham City Centre as a foundation level learner, a vocational course that encourages students to improve their independent skills, communication, and teamwork for employment.

When his college tutor put him forward for the Envision programme, he saw this as a great opportunity to develop his communication further in order to support his own learning whilst building new connections with other young people in his college. Although it was slightly daunting, he recognised how important it was to throw himself in and build his self-confidence to utilise beyond the classroom.

Team United from Different Nations

Abdulhakeem’s team chose to focus their social action project around cultural awareness to celebrate and uplift their diverse community. As the college was made up of 35 different nationalities, his team wanted to gain a greater understanding of the backgrounds of every student that made up this community. They expressed that as much as they were proud to be living in the UK, they wanted to highlight the love they have for their own cultures.

The team planned an event day in their college where students could share food, clothing, art and music from their own culture. Working with others to put this plan into action was an excellent opportunity for Abdulhakeem to develop his communication and problem-solving skills. Although there were initially some disagreements on how to approach their project, his team respected one another and learned to consider one another’s different viewpoints to make the day happen.

A driving force

A huge part of Abdulhakeem’s growth and the development of his team’s project was working with the mentor team from Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSOL ICB). Being from a range of cultures themselves, the project resonated with the mentoring team, so they were keen to create a safe environment for the young people to share their ideas and feel listened to.

Throughout these sessions, Abdulhakeem’s confidence flourished. He didn’t get too involved in their first meeting, but by their final session he was speaking clearly with the group of adults with a vulnerability and humility that was heartening to watch.

Communication for change

At the final event, Abdulhakeem’s team delivered an excellent presentation about their project in front of an audience of over 100 people, even introducing themselves in their home languages. As a result of their passion and clear growth in the essential skills, his team were crowned the winners of the Envision programme, with their mentors also being recognised as mentor team of the year.

Abdulhakeem is a true testament to what our programme is all about, developing his own skills and confidence whilst uplifting the community around him.