Rabia joined the GRoW Programme in August 2023 after meeting the GRoW Team at Sheringham Childrens Centre, near her home town of Manor Park in Newham. With her daughter soon to start Nursery, Rabia was looking for an opportunity to take her first steps back to work.
Rabia said; “Being a stay-at-home mum had taken its toll on my confidence but I didn’t want motherhood to hold me back. I wanted to get back out in the world and start to socialise again but was finding it hard to get started. What I quickly realised when I joined the GRoW Programme was that it could offer the support and guidance that I needed. Whilst it was about helping mums think about work, it wasn’t focused on just finding a job – any job – it was about looking to the future and working towards meaningful work.
The daily activities and discussions in the programme helped open our minds to new possibilities. There was no one to criticise us or say we were wrong. We were encouraged to think freely, explore new ideas, and even take the lead in our own projects. This I think is very unique and it’s what helped to give me the push I needed.
Before I stopped work to have my daughter I had a variety of work experiences. I worked in a tuition academy in Brixton and in Enfield and worked in retail at ASDA, JD Sports and in charity shops so I have a range of skills. I gained qualifications in maths and physics in my home country of Pakistan but I am keen to attain more qualifications in the UK to boost my CV. The GRoW Programme introduced me to opportunities to take online courses which I can learn whilst my daughter is at Nursery. I have enrolled on to a Teaching Assistant course which I am hoping to start in January when a space is available and I am also doing the Multiply course to improve my maths.
As my daughter progresses through to full-time school my plan is to complete the Multiply courses and then pursue a graduate course before enrolling onto a longer-term professional programme.
Being part of the GRoW Community has been a great experience for me. GRoW has been a really important platform to giving me that gentle nudge to helping me make my dreams a reality and Liz has been so encouraging and motivating and really such a driving force in my journey.”