Samantha and Mustapha are using their experience to help others
This National Inclusion Week we are sharing the stories of people who have found support, belonging, and strength through their local communities.
Meet Cllr Mustapha from Cwmbach and Samantha who lives in Treorchy. Both are incredible advocates in their communities. It’s the support from those communities that has helped them make a difference.
Their stories offer different perspectives, but they both share an important message: when communities come together, they can lift everyone up, no matter their background.
Samantha
Samantha, loves living in Treorchy. With a beautiful high street, vibrant nightlife and even festivals to attend, Samantha feels like she is a part of Treorchy’s vibrant culture.
Samantha has always felt embraced and supported by her valleys communities. She doesn’t feel like she’s been treated any differently to others and has always felt included.
She is also a great self-advocate, having fought for her right to live with her partner of 7 years Ben. Like Samantha, Ben also has a learning disability. Despite the difficulty of getting it approved, the couple are now thriving as they live together and both take their first steps into employment.
Samantha is passionate about using her experience to help others and to make access to vital services easier for others with a learning disability. Her top tip for anyone speaking with someone with a learning disability is to remove the jargon.
领英推荐
Mustapha
Mustapha has spent 31 years living in the valleys, where he studied at Aberdare College and Mid Glamorgan University.
For 25 years, he ran his own business while tirelessly working to strengthen community ties. As an athlete, he campaigned for a running track in Aberdare, helped establish a mosque, and, as a politician, he ensures that ethnic minorities have a voice in local government and throughout Wales.
Although Mustapha has encountered racism, he credits the support of his community for helping him navigate these challenges. “The community has embraced us, and we feel no different from our neighbours, even though most are white,” he reflects.
Despite facing misunderstandings and unfair treatment, he found that standing up for his rights always garnered support and fairness in the end.
Mustapha is a firm believer in the power of communities to drive change. “Get involved and don’t be afraid. Whether in politics, community service, or education, you can make a difference. Your community will back you along the way.”
He emphasizes that the key to an inclusive community lies in “integration and acceptance.”
Both Samantha and Mustapha have been welcomed by their communities which has in turn helped them advocate for their own rights and support others.
How are the communities/ networks you work or live in creating a welcoming space where people feel safe enough to make their voices heard? How has that helped them raise the voices of others along the way? What are the key elements within that community or network that have made that possible?