Testimonials
Minni Lau
I find Fatou’s workshop the best thing I have ever done. I have struggled all my life with career choices. I was educated at the top engineering school in the world and had a high flying job in banking before I became a full time mum. Having the responsibility of a family with a 7 and a 5 year old meant that sorting out me was impossible.
Thanks to Fatou workshop, I was able to recover a sense of self and more importantly a sense of possibility. I realised that I could start doing something now even with the responsibility of running a family. Her workshop helped me see that looking after myself is, just as, if not more important than looking after my family. The techniques she used were helpful in guiding us to re-discover ourselves. She re-instilled in us a sense of confidence that is so crucial in taking the next step.
I highly recommend this workshop to anyone. The benefit has ripple effects on any community.
Holly
My name is Holly and I am a mother to a 4 year old. I took part in the Confidence Academy for Mums course in April 2019.
I was recommended about the course through a employment support worker and was very much interested as the leaflet ticked a lot of boxes that I would find beneficial to me at that time.
Once I had contacted Fatou she was happy for me to take part in the sessions even though two sessions had already taken place. Fatou initially gave me an over the phone one to one before I started the course and I found this very comforting as I was quite hesitant to begin with.
As a mother whom deals with anxiety I felt very anxious to attend my first session but I did and had met other mums that were in a similar situations as myself - we were all in the same boat!
I began noticing a positive change within myself in each session I attended, I started to open up more, socialising and interacting a lot more too and most importantly discovering me again.
Throughout this workshop Fatou had noticed my organisational skills and had offered me a voluntary position in C.A.M as a project coordinator. I felt so honoured to be part of a workshop that has helped me majorly and has a massive positive impact on my everyday life.
During the workshop and voluntary work I came to realise how much I’ve always enjoyed helping and supporting others, I then apply for a supporting worker role position. And now proud to say I have been offer that role.
Fatou given me this opportunity made me feel prepared to get back into work environment. I have enjoyed being part of the team and looking forward to new adventures.
Thank you so much Fatou for all that you do & stand for!
Mother entrepreneurs having their own stalls to sell their products/services - Rebecca Stapleton
Michelle Archibong
“The course was excellent, Breathing exercises were encouraged and practised as a way of helping to let go of any stress or worries, to help support clarity of thought and focus. With this, I was able to take away the skill of exhaling during challenging situations.”
Confidence Academy – Holistic Support.
The first session with the Holistic Support Group was unexpected, as I never knew what to expect. It was surprisingly open and positive. The ladies shared their life experiences, as did I, to my surprise. The session on discovery of self, was hard at first. I got a lot off my chest. The group were compassionate and we all felt at ease with each other (strangely). I never usually say deep rooted issues about myself. I learnt about myself. I actually had time for myself, during these sessions. I looked forward to attending the sessions. Always left feeling positive with a task to think about.
I successfully managed to reorganise myself, take myself out of the equation for three days. I went to Germany for the first time. The break was invigorating and reinforced the possibilities, when your able to delegate out to family members. This was a hard process, but I enjoyed planning and executing it. Can you believe it, the kids actually missed me, and I enjoyed updating them on ‘me' and what ‘I' did.
Fatou techniques were so impactful for me. As a mother you always put the children first. Fatou gave us examples
of this, before realigning our thinking. She asked if you in a Desert and your children were really thirsty, who do you give first?
As a group, we progressed week on week, confidence was developing week on week. I was feeling more able.
The support from Fatou enabled me to redress barriers, mine being a mum of three children. I’ve always looked back at past jobs asking myself ‘why can’t I do the jobs I did before children’. To be honest, I hit a brick wall when discussing vision boards and future goals. Its really difficult seeing myself outside of motherhood. I knew I wanted a job, one where I don’t abandon my responsibilities or have to pay out on childcare.
Well Fatou, totally removed that mindset, session after session, and successfully replaced it with ‘reworking what is actually possible right now'. Fatou enabled me to rework my ideas of work as a mother with short term (part time school hours job) and long term goals (self employment). Wow! I now had two options.
Fatou was well organised and arranged real life speakers, who were working proof that either were ‘actually possible’. The speakers were uplifting. The NCS also attended and followed up with different approaches to job searching. They pointed me to the right sector that would help support the part time work in the first instance. I found four ‘real jobs' to apply for in one session, with no expense travelling and no 2 hour journey.
Towards the end of the course, I was referred and signposted to Hackney Works, who supported me through the application and interview process,to successfully, secure a part time role during school hours. I actually felt appreciated both at home and at work.
Thanks to Fatou and her network connections. I’ve moved to unemployed to part time employed. Its local and makes sense. I have a fuller sense of purpose.
Thanks so much – your collaboration works.
Michelle Archibong.
Amber
My name is Amber and I have a daughter who was around 18 months old when I decided to come along to Fatou’s course.
Confidence Academy for Mums was recommended to me as at the time, I was trying to start up a business. I was told that it was a great course for mums looking to boost their confidence and get help and advice on their careers/business ideas/life goals. I felt that this opportunity came at the perfect time for me and I looked forward to starting!
The things I loved about the course and how I benefited:
Having the chance to talk with a lovely group of women. I really felt I was being listened to.
My daughter was able to play safely in the Creche.
My mindset became more focused and positive as the weeks progressed.
I realised how much I really wanted to ’be successful and have lots of money!’ and what it meant to me (freedom, security etc.) and I was no longer afraid to admit it!
I felt comfortable and at ease.
I particularly enjoyed when we had people come to talk to us all who shared what they had been through and how they overcame their obstacles. This was really inspiring and reminded me that my problems weren’t that bad compared to what others have to go through!
I didn’t realise how much I would benefit from Fatou’s wonderful course until I completed it and I am very grateful for this experience.
Salma
Hi, my name is Salma, Mother of 2 super boys. I heard of Fatou through Hackney Muslims on Facebook at a time when I needed a clear direction. My youngest son was at the time in nursery and my last teaching post was 3-4 years ago.
“This course has given me a sense of clarity, confidence and invisible wings. My mindset was shifted and positive outcomes were gained from it. I have immensely benefited from it in my work life, home life and life in general.”
I needed a holistic approach to life and Fatou came at the right time.
When I started this journey with Fatou it wasn’t just a normal workshop, it was meaningful. She supported me when I was feeling the lack of motivation, she truly believed in me and inspired me to tap into my ambitions and fulfil them.
What stuck out was Fatou’s continuous support throughout my journey. Her calls, her words of encouragement. I love her holistic approaches. She is amazing. I want all my family to go on a journey with Fatou!
Since enrolling I have become a Ride Leader and a Cycle Instructor In Hackney and am currently in the process of getting a women’s cycle group started. I have so many other wonderful ideas which I hope will slowly manifest in future.
I truly could not have done this alone, so much credit to Fatou and Holistic Support.
Fiona
My name is Fiona Adomako, I'm a single mother of 3 beautiful children and I joined holistic support November of 2016. I would like to share my experience with holistic support with you.
I picked up a leaflet advertising mother who wanted to get back to work from the Redmond Community Centre. It took me quite a while before I finally contacted the number on the leaflet, looking back now I am very happy I did.
I was looking for a group that was mainly focusing on mothers who wanted to either start a business for themselves or just wanted to get back into work.
On arrival at the community centre I got the chance to meet other mothers and introduce myself and get to know each other. Soon after Fatou came and introduced herself to me and welcomed me to the group. We made our way to the room where the meeting takes place which was very spacious and clean.
Fatou is very good at planning little activities to boost our spirits before each meeting. I've enjoyed every one of them and we had a good laugh while doing it.
Fatou, our teacher was brilliant and she went into depth about the importance of positive affirmations. She was aware that as mothers we had a lot of insecurities about going back to work.
Before the end of the course, I secured my first job interview. I told Fatou all about it and she gave me some really useful tips. I went to the interview and I applied everything I'd learn from the course. A few days after completing the course I was offered the job I applied for. When I informed my teacher that I was getting a bit nervous about starting the new job; she made time to see me and answer some questions I had. Fatou was always there and very helpful.
My experience with holistic support has been a positive one and I would recommend it to any woman/mothers out there.
Thank you HOLISTIC SUPPORT for being a helping hand in my journey!
Brooke Pegram
I found the Tree of Life workshops were more valuable and profound for me than anything I could have expected. Since becoming a mother over six years ago, with a lot of personal issues in the years before that, I had never really taken the time or had the chance to explore very deeply who I am or how I might have become who I became. To be honest I was a bit lost, and very lonely, as well as feeling like a bit of a misfit. The workshops with Fatou have been like talk therapy or group counselling, but without the unaffordable price tag, and with a community of accepting and supportive other women who can relate to each others experiences.
The women-only space was such a nourishing environment and allowed me to open up more and more. I looked forward to each week more and more as the group got to know each other better and formed a strong support network that offered encouragement and accountability, things that I really feel are missing from my life.
Being with other women of colour was something I did not realise how much I needed. Sometimes it is difficult for me as a mixed race person to know where I fit in. The group was so inclusive I felt really welcomed and comfortable. I never realised how UNcomfortable I sometimes felt in my difference or ‘otherness’ among less diverse groups, until I experienced the acceptance of these women. This made SELF-acceptance so much more possible, and I genuinely came away from each week feeling another part of myself healing as I learned to accept myself more fully.
Exploring ourselves through the Tree of Life metaphor was such a beautiful and gentle way into writing pieces about ourselves, which is something I would usually have found really daunting. And definitely then reading our work in a live performance setting I would never have done without the support and encouragement of the group. The fact that we were all doing it together also helped to give me the confidence I needed to stand up in front of an audience. It felt like a real achievement at the end.
Being able to bring children when I needed to was a real game-changer for me, as so often child caring is a huge barrier to participating in something like this.
Overall, the workshops were a true gift, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have had the experience with such an inspiring group of women.
For the future, I will look out for more chances like this - to explore myself and my creativity with a group of like-minded and similarly diverse, creative women. I feel like we covered a lot of ground in only a few weeks, but I would love a more extended series to develop even more expansive work together and see how much further we could go with even more time.
Nathaly
I have 15 years’ experience in investment banking but I got made redundant when I was pregnant of my second child. I worked later as a consultant for a year but stopped 5 years ago when it was too difficult to manage the work-family balance.
I contacted Fatou after a recommendation from a friend. I was in a challenging time of my life dealing with a difficult situation and trying to reconstruct my personal life and career. From our first meeting, Fatou made me think about what I wanted to do, structure my goals in a way that I’d never thought of before and help me focus on the things which really mattered to me and how I could achieve them.
Her practical and emotional support allowed me to find strength, confidence and a positive mind ready to achieve new things in my life which will make me happy. She is very encouraging and inspiring.