This month I continued to heal from all my surgeries.
I raised awareness for World Day Against Child Labour attended a few webinars,
the first webinar at the beginning of the month was 'Wave of Hope Crafting Session' and the second 'Preparing your Board Ready CV' with Lara Oyedele.
Many thanks to Sabeena Akhtar for my signed copy of 'Cut from the Same Cloth.'
For those that don't know I was admitted to hospital after a few weeks of excruciating pain in my left ovary and required urgent surgery.
My cyst was removed 17th March 2020.
During November 2017 I had my first rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder, and then a year later October 2018 I had the same surgery on my left shoulder.
Its been a long 4 years of excruciating pain, sleepless nights and slow healing.
I still have bouts of low energy, pain and anxiety.
I am learning more about self care, a good healthy diet, exercise and loving myself.
Thank you to all my friends and family who sent get well messages.
World Day Against Child Labour 2020
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12th.
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12th.
World Day Against Child Labour is intended to highlight the plight of working children and to support the worldwide movement against child labour.
Did you know that 2021 is the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour? I am ashamed to say that I didn't!
Source: International Labour Organization
Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in light of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.7 that seeks to eliminate all forms of child labour by 2025.
I had no idea that there are approximately 152 million boys and girls trapped in child labour worldwide, and 71% or 108 million of them are working in agriculture.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on agri-food systems is exacerbating rural poverty and leading to an increase in child poverty, school dropout and food insecurity.
Children are being increasingly involved in working activities to compensate labour gaps and income losses in food and agricultural production.
This situation is likely to reverse progress and undermine efforts to eradicate rural poverty (SDG 1), achieve zero hunger (SDG 2), and eliminate child labour (SDG 8.7).
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations
To support the call to eliminate child labour, I attended a webinar On World Day Against Child Labour, 8 June 2021.
The webinar was titled, 'Stacey Fru dialogue on Child Labour in Africa,' and was hosted by Molly Namirembe.
Molly Namirembe, anchor of the World Against Child Labour 2021 webinar
The following guest speakers passionately talked about eliminating child labour.
The first guest speaker to talk about Child Labour was Faith Manyala.
Faith talked about how we can identify child labour and to take action and take individual pledges to eliminate child labour.
Faith Manyala, guest speaker - World Day Against Child Labour 2021 webinar
The second guest speaker was James Ahamdu.
James Ahamdu, guest speaker and activist
James talked about being a child labourer and an orphan.
James was exposed to exploitation and physical and mental abuse by employers at a very tender age.
James child labouring days came to an end when a stranger asked why he was not in school.
This stranger heard his story and James was referred to a child trafficking organisation where he received support and rehabilitation.
Many thanks to James for sharing a very personal and painful account of his childhood.
I'd like to take this opportunity to wish him a happy, bright and prosperous future, thank you for being a strong and powerful child labour advocate.
To read my blog about World Day Against Child Labour 2021 please click here.
This month I participated in a webinar hosted by the Fairtrade Foundation and Arts University Bournemouth teams.
My Wave of Hope in English and Urdu with Sabeena Ahmed
The purpose of the webinar was to raise awareness about Covid, Injustice and Climate change at the G7 summit in Cornwall and Cop26 in Glasgow.
More than 3,000 people shared their virtual Wave of Hope, or created their own Wave, reminding politicians of their responsibilities to communities most affected by climate change.
Thank you to the Fairtrade Foundation team for featuring my hands in your June 2021 newsletter. :)
#WaveofHope Fairtrade Foundation newsletter June 2021
featuring my hands in English and Urdu
Send your photograph to info@crackthecrises.org or follow this link.
Hashtag #WAVEOFHOPE
I also attended a webinar titled 'Preparing Your Board Ready CV with the inspirational, warm and professional Lara Oyedele.
Please watch her interview 'If I can do it so can anyone else' - Lara Odyele on being a Non-Executive Board Director.
Source and Credit: Dynamic Boards
Lara Oyedele is an accomplished social entrepreneur, property developer and campaigner for affordable housing.
Lara is passionate about reducing homelessness and promoting diversity in leadership. Originally trained as journalist, she has almost 30 years professional experience working in housing associations, local authorities, private sector management companies and homelessness charities.
A former Housing Association CEO, Lara was the founding Chair of, and creative force behind, BMENational, the coalition which promotes the role of ethnic minority housing associations in the England. Lara is an alumni of London School of Economics and Henley Business School.
Lara has served on the Board of Southern Housing Group as well as equality advisory board to the housing regulator. She is currently a trustee of homelessness charity, Hope Housing (Bradford Ltd). Lara runs a training company, manages an extensive buy to let portfolio and is developing an affordable housing company.
Source: Housing21.org.uk
The session was informative, educational and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of a very small group of professionals.
Lara worked through the presentation/session and asked us to re-write our C.V's.
I am working on my CV and will post it her for all to see.
Thank you Lara for your kind words. They mean more than you imagine.
Lara's message for me!
Thank you to Sabeena Akhtar for sending me a signed copy of 'Cut from the Same Cloth.'
From one Sabeena to another - Thank you!
If you've managed to get this far, you deserve lots of fairtrade chocolate.
Thank you for reading and I hope to bring you another monthly blog next month.
Love and respect to everyone making a difference.
Sabeena
World Day Against Child Labour 2021
Living with PCOS and Endometriosis - by Sabeena Ahmed
This month my right shoulder is still very painful and I have struggled to record this vlog and type this blog.
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
Here is my Easy Fairtrade Cocoa and Fairtrade Bananas Recipe which I baked for Fairtrade Fortnight 2024.
I have tried my best to translate this recipe in Urdu.
یہ ہے میری ایزی فیئرٹریڈ کوکو اور فیئر ٹریڈ کیلے کی ترکیب جسے میں نے فیئر ٹریڈ فورٹ نائٹ 2024 کے لیے پکایا تھا۔
میں نے اس ترکیب کا اردو میں ترجمہ کرنے کی پوری کوشش کی ہے۔
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
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I'm Sabeena Ahmed owner and creator of The Little Fair Trade Shop. I've been an individual associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2011 and together with my artisans I bring you a bespoke collection of ethically sourced fashion & gifts.
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