Madiha Finds New Confidence and Opportunities

Madiha has been part of the GRoW community for over a year. She is a very active member who has worked hard to upskill herself and move closer to finding work. Recently, she was referred to Smart Works for a career consultation, which made her feel very confident and positive about her future. Madiha also volunteers as a parent champion with the Hillingdon Coram Family Information Service, helping other mums in her community.

Madiha said “I first heard about GRoW last year through a newsletter from my children’s school. I had been a full-time mum for 11 years, looking after my three daughters, and I felt like I wasn’t doing anything for myself. When I saw the GRoW advert, it said I could learn new skills, meet other mums, and prepare for finding a job in the future. I thought, “I should join this because it will help me.”

I went to three GRoW sessions, and they really inspired me. The group is very supportive, and it helps mums like me who have been at home for a long time. I met other women who understood what I was going through, and I started to believe in myself again. Liz and the team kept saying, “We have to do something for ourselves and our children,” and those words stayed with me.

Since joining GRoW, I have done a lot of courses to improve myself. I completed a Level 1 Teaching Assistant course and am now working on Level 2, which I will finish next month. I also did courses in budgeting, customer service, and mental health for children and young people. I have also done e-learning courses as part of my parent champion work with Coram. All of this has helped me feel more confident and ready to move forward.

My volunteering role at Coram Family Information Service is giving me the opportunity to help other mums. I help talk to them about their problems and signpost them to the right services if they need help with things such as their children’s education, health, or anything else. It’s good to know I can support them because they trust me, and it feels very rewarding to give back to my community.

One of the best things I have done through GRoW is the Smart Works consultation. GRoW shared the opportunity in a session, and I immediately said I was interested. Smart Works offered me career coaching, and it was a great experience. They showed me how to prepare for job interviews and gave me advice to improve my confidence.

After the session, I felt really positive. Knowing I can contact them again for help with my CV or interviews has made me feel even more ready to start working.

I have already applied to volunteer at my children’s school and registered with recruitment agencies. I have a degree in Business and Marketing and thought I would work in that field but I am thinking now that I would like to become a teaching assistant because I really enjoy working with children. Back in Pakistan, I taught children for over 10 years as a Tutor, and I want to use that experience here.

Joining GRoW has changed me completely. I feel more confident in how I talk, how I handle things at home, and how I support my children. I’ve also learned that life is about continuous learning. Whether it’s through volunteering, studying, or helping others, there is always something new to learn.

I’m so thankful for GRoW. It has helped me see what I can do and made me believe in myself again. I still have a lot to do, but I feel ready for the future, and I’m excited to see what’s next.