My experience as a new volunteer

Written by Babera Khan

I joined MWM in March 2017 as a volunteer, despite being a busy mother of a large, busy household and a part time primary school teacher. Some days I have my ‘busy mum’ hat on and other days I wear a teaching hat. I enjoy juggling both roles, since it keeps me in touch with the outside world.

Since becoming more involved in promoting MWM within my local community, I have recently taken on the role of the Membership Officer with the aim to recruit more women and channel their skills into relevant projects under MWM.

Volunteering with MWM has helped me realise that a women’s role can be much more than just a mother and wife. It is tough but absolutely rewarding to see you’ve had an impact on young people’s lives. My hobbies include reading, jogging and eating out and I have found that my existing skills are being utilised.

The reason I joined MWM is because of the impact and awareness the group is having on the local community not only as a muslim women but as a group of professionals who have come together and said they want their voices heard. No longer happy to be silent voices in the community we want to make our mark in the local area.

I believe MWM is a very pro-active community group which has takes part in numerous causes and worthy projects such as the Macmillan Coffee morning and Your Health Matters Event ; which saw the participation of health centres, speakers, healthy food challenges and the Mayor of Merton.

My role as a volunteer has been an amazing journey starting with International Women’s day in March 2017 where I was lucky enough to listen to, and meet women with amazing life stories; women who hadn’t been born with a silver spoon in their mouth but had faced a lot of struggles and discrimination not only from the wider society but from within their families. These women were able to prove that despite setbacks and traditional family expectations they could make a mark in their professional field.

My next journey was being part of ‘Your Health Matters’ event in October 2017. I was able to encourage people, as well as the Mayor to make a pledge for change in their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. The aim was to get people to really pinpoint an area they felt they needed to change in themselves be it even a small change.

I feel MWM has pushed the boundaries of expectations of muslim women in the community. Life has to mean more than just that and we have to seek it otherwise a life of opportunities are lost. We close our own doors to opportunities by limiting our own minds and shutting them down. We need to lift our heads out of the parapet and look around us and see what there is to be accomplished and experienced, only then can we truly experience what life Allah has blessed us with. MWM has helped me experience just that and I am honoured to be part of an amazing women’s volunteer organisation.