Hear Our Stories

    I’m Beth, a 24-year-old, autistic communicator and content creator living in Bristol. I moved here two years ago from South East London and came to Babbasa last summer to develop my confidence and start my career. I wanted to get into marketing and social...

"I was born in Bristol and the I'm the youngest of 3 children, with two brothers. Being the only girl can be annoying at times but I guess I've learnt to deal with it. Most people would describe me as being quite weird and dramatic, but others would say I'm quite...

I am Yasmin Mohammed, a 24-year-old currently living in Bristol. I was born and raised here and studied right through to college-level education. I am the youngest of 5 brothers and I am the only girl. It was at a young stage in my life when I knew I wanted to work in...

  “I don’t like to say it’s a challenge, and I tend to see it as more of a blessing but I come from a big family of 12 siblings and with a condition that has required multiple surgeries. Babbasa arranged work experience for me with the editor of Bristol 24/7....

“When I was growing up, my home life was full of abuse and I was continually faced with fear, pain, and hostility. I faced a lot of violence and racial abuse at school as well, and before long, I was kicked out, and later arrested for possessing a knife. I had reached...

Key workers are a lifeline to our country during coronavirus  A key worker is someone in the public sector who provides care to others or performs another vital function to provide support or services to others (such as working in supermarkets or transport). As a...

"Things are weird right now, aren’t they? The sun is shining, but no one is out. Everyone is in quarantine, self-isolating, or simply shut up in their houses awaiting news of where we can and can’t go. So, in these unusual times where we can’t enjoy a trip to the pub...

"My experience so far as a Youth Ambassador (YA) has been nothing but positive. I found out about the Challenge programme as part of the ‘Our Bristol, Our World’ conference, ran by Babbasa’s previous YA’s in mid-October. The aim of the conference was to give young...

Babbasa Trailblazer, Stephen talks through his experience of being a part of the City Leadership programme. The programme supports highly aspirational young people from less advantaged backgrounds by giving them the tools they need to become leaders of the future....

Media, broadcasting and documentaries had always been of some interest to me, but I wasn't completely sure what I could do to turn that interest into a career. Through the Babbasa Placement Programme, I was able to secure a work experience opportunity at Plimsoll...

Babbasa Trailblazer, Amy talks through her experience of being a part of the City Leadership programme. The programme supports highly aspirational young people from less advantaged backgrounds by giving them the tools they need to become leaders of the future. It's an...

“I joined the Babbasa Level 2 Enterprise course as a secondary school leaver, with a clear idea that I wanted to pursue my own business either in fashion or with food, but lacked the skills needed to do it. Babbasa was there to support me as a learner. During the...

I  My name’s Zainab, I am currently a Babbasa Trailblazer and have been with Babbasa for a number of years. I was originally born in London born into a first-generation Pakistani family but have lived in Bristol for the majority of my life and would say I love...

I moved from London to Bristol in 2004 and I’ve lived here ever since. I know Bristol like the back of my hand. My family are originally from Somaliland, and Bristol has a thriving Somali community which is a lot closer than that of London because of how big London...

I’m from Bristol, but I was born in London but grew up in Bristol. Both my parents came to England as refugees of the Somali civil war. I am 1 of 6 children in the family I keep it simple with my hobbies. I love watching sports like basketball and playing them as...

Hi, I’m Olumide. I grew up in Berkshire, but I also lived in Nigeria for 3 years from 13 to 16. I came back to England for 6th form and finally came to Bristol to go to university. My friends would describe me as being joyful, creative, and sociable. I’m going into my...

Hi, I’m Tyreke. I’m originally from Bristol. My family and friends would say I’m funny, wise when it comes to serious topics, confident, and dependable. I’ve finished college, and I’m currently taking a gap year. I’m using this time to experiment by doing different...

Hi, I’m Jeril, and I’m a social media and marketing manager from Bristol. At the moment, I’m studying Business Management at UWE. I was born in South India, and spent a couple of my early years in Oman. I came to the UK when I was 4, and lived here for about 9 years....

I moved to Bristol from Brazil when I was 6 years old with my parents and older sister. Since then we have had 2 additions to our family, my little brother and our pet hamster. I would describe myself as impulsive, warm and understanding, although my friends and...

I migrated to Bristol at the age of 5 to escape civil war and the harsh environment of a broken country. Irrespective of this, I focus on that which I’m in control of and give no time to the things that limit me. I have always been driven towards business and consider...

Hi, I’m Jasmine Thompson. I’m a creative, so creating art ALL the time. I’m quite chilled out, and very focused on what I want to do. I'm now twenty-four and based in Bristol as an illustrator and designer. Growing up, I lived in a really small city that didn’t have a...

I grew up always moving. I was born in Italy, then later moved to England at the age of 11. Because of my diverse upbringing, I am able to speak multiple languages. I speak English, Arabic and Italian. My life in Italy if compared to my life in England is...

Both my parents are from Nigeria. My village in Nigeria gave me my name, Fumen. That means 'wisdom', which is where Whiz comes from. I went there for the first time at age 6 and learned the language that I use now called Hausa. Being born in London and going to...

Hi, I’m Haneen, I’m 16. I have 3 siblings. My friends would describe me as funny, a good listener and that I give great advice! My parents would say that I’m loud, a bit naughty, but nice as well. I like playing sports, especially football. And I really like baking. I...

Hi, I’m Marissa and I’m a Graphic Designer from Bristol. I think that my friends and family would describe me as outgoing, motivated, and creative. I’ve spent the last 3 years in Birmingham studying Graphic Communication at Birmingham City University. I loved being a...

Hi, I’m Kelly, originally from London. My friends and family see me as funny and caring, although a little bit argumentative. I came to Bristol to study Law, but I’m looking for a career in TV - behind the camera, definitely behind, ideally a scriptwriter or producer....

"My name is Myles, and I’m 26 years old now. In school I wasn’t interested in any of the subjects so left with no GCSEs which made it difficult to find a job.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do after I left school, but one day  I just bought a camera and started...

"I came here when I was six, from Somalia. I’m the oldest of eight siblings. I’m seen as honest, motivated and bold, although my little siblings think I’m bossy! When I moved here I didn’t know the language. I learnt everything from watching TV, it’s why I love it, it...