How Islam Made Me a Feminist

Many thanks to the talented Zena Agha, daughter of fellow Home Away From Home contributor Jeena, for sharing these personal and insightful reflections on Feminism and Islam as part of a recent TEDxTalk at Warwick Salon. 

YouTube bio: At 17, Zena was the youngest member of Operation Black Vote's MP Shadowing Scheme, campaigning for a boycott of Israeli Settlement foodstuffs in Westminster, as well as Deputy Member of Youth Parliament. Part of her extensive community work includes running poetry workshops, and she was shortlisted for the London Mayor's Young Person Peace Prize. Zena founded and co-ordinates Warwick University's biggest spoken word collective 'Shoot from the Lip,' running poetry slam nights, and was awarded funding from the Lord Rootes Memorial Fund. Media credits include BBC Arabic and the BBC World Service, and she created and produced Operation Black Vote's Power of Poetry project. 


In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = an independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations).

Please Join Us As We Launch The Refuge!

We warmly invite you to join us as we launch The Refuge.

Wednesday, October 2nd, 3:30 PM, The Forum.

Details follow. 

Introducing...The Refuge!

Thanks so much to Aabdeen for telling us all about the The Forum's special new project, The Refuge.

On Sunday, 15th September, I, along with other members of MRCF, decorated the office to run our new project, The Refuge. 

The Refuge is a safe space at our community centre in North Kensington, where migrants and refugees can come and relax, learn new skills, and discuss if they want to become volunteers. Members can gather here to practice social participation and inclusion, develop trust, and discuss ways to engage in active citizenship. 

On Sunday, I drew and painted a tree on the wall inside The Refuge. Instead of having apples on the branches, we decided to have photo frames to hang instead, which will have images of the different issues. 

I made small tables as well, from coffee beans and blue beads. To stick the beads and beans down, I first glued the table surface and then arranged the beans and beads in a pattern. I also painted part of one of the walls yellow and cream. There were a lot of books inside the room which we had to move outside, which automatically made the room look more spacious. 

Celebrating a Great Year of Activities!

Thanks to Niresha for sharing with us highlights of the June 22 end-of-the-year party.

On Saturday 22^nd June, MRCF held a party to celebrate our mentor and mentees’ achievements throughout the year. It was a great day filled with fun, food and laughter and great live performances from our music group. We awarded certificates to our mentors and mentees to recognise the great time and efforts they put into various activities throughout the year.

We had a really good turn out at the event with lots of MRCF faces turning up and enjoying the fun. It’s a shame that the weather wasn’t particularly great that day and we had to move our picnic indoors, but either way we made the best of the day and had a lot of fun.

The party marked the end of a great year of activities and wrapped them up in time for the summer break. We look forward to starting the activities again this September, such as music, maths and English classes, and sewing classes soon. Throughout the party, pictures were projected of some of the products our members had created, such as beautiful sequin dresses made in the sewing classes.

The musical entertainment went down a treat and brought big smiles and joy to everyone. It got everyone involved and singing along, and we also got to see some of our members’ dancing moves!

The whole event was a great catch up with friends at MRCF and was really enjoyable. After a nice summer break, we are looking forward to recommencing our activities and seeing the talents of our members unfold.

The Richness of the Mentoring Experience

Thank you to Hayley for sharing her impressions of the mentoring project as she begins to delve into her research. 

I have been volunteering at The Forum for 3 weeks now, so have met many a cheerful mentor while sitting in the office. However, a week ago I started interviewing mentors for a research project I am doing at the University of Edinburgh. I have been asking questions about how the mentors first got involved with the project, the experiences they have had throughout the process, and why they think the project is important.

My main finding… Wow, what a lovely bunch of people! Every interview made me more and more inspired to become a mentor and join the team myself. Everyone was so enthusiastic about the project and its achievements. 

What really struck me in the interviews was how this project provides so much more than practical support to the mentees. This is clearly a vital aspect of the partnership, but stories of blossoming friendships, adventures around London, and a wide range of knowledge and experience gained by both mentees and mentors really showed the potential of mentoring relationships. The fact that the friendships made through the mentor system often continue beyond the 6 months of weekly meetings really shows how engaged both mentees and mentors are with the project.

The mentors each have their own unique experiences and knowledge which they are encouraged to contribute - be it knowledge as a solicitor or counsellor, or a love for history and exploring museums. I believe it is the combination of this passion and patience that makes the mentoring system so dynamic and successful. One mentor explained how rewarding it was to see her mentee grow in confidence over the 6 months: “When I hear those words [of thanks] from the people I am supporting and mentoring, that is not pleasure; it is something absolutely deeper - gratification - and goes to the heart.”- Vittoria

I would like to say a HUGE "thank you" to the mentors who have participated in my research: Ruth, Gemma, Vittoria and Alec (and possibly more in the future!). I really loved meeting you and have learnt so much from you all!

A Party To Celebrate Three Years Together

Thanks to Laura for these reflections on New Beginnings Mentoring's impressive first three years.

There is always a good reason to celebrate...especially if we talk about our achievements over the last three years! The New Beginnings project turned three years old and we celebrated it on 31st May. Many people gathered at The Forum to enjoy a fun day together with music, food and good memories. In front of an enthusiastic audience, our trained music group performed at Café Nova for the second time, playing a wide range of songs, from the Wizard of Oz soundtrack's “Over the Rainbow," to George Gershwin's “I Got Rhythm,” and The Sound of Music soundtrack's “Edelweiss,” when everybody stood up, chose a partner and started dancing together. The concert masterpiece was Aziza’s solo of “Ego,” a song composed and performed by herself with the choir as back-up. Very catchy and performed with passion, you couldn’t get its rhythm out of your head!

The party then moved to The Forum's office, where we enjoyed a lovely video put together by Milca and Martina on our activities and events over the last year. Interviews and photos followed, and you realized how people have benefitted and enjoyed every class, and how strong their bond is with The Forum and among each other. 

Some of their comments were:

Woolwich: Not In My Name

Thank you to Home Away From Home contributor Jeena for sharing this powerful poem written and performed by her daughter, Zena Agha, in reaction to the Woolwich killing. Please distribute it widely. As Jeena says, "people need to see it and understand" and "we all need to stand together during these times."