Amayah

Before West London Zone 

Amayah was identified for the West London Zone (WLZ) programme at age 14. She was identified as ‘at risk’ due to her low self-confidence and anxiety which meant she was finding it very difficult to make and keep friends. Much of this stemmed from her home environment and having to move schools several times before settling at a secondary school in White City, West London. Her school grades had not yet been affected, but her anxiety made it hard for her to believe in herself or engage with her studies. Her teachers were concerned about a possible decline in this area and her difficulties with peer relationships, and saw an opportunity for Amayah to improve on these areas of development through the WLZ programme.

Amayah’s WLZ Journey

Amayah was linked with West London Zone Link Worker, Farial, who worked hard to build a relationship with Amayah and her family – helped by the fact she could speak Arabic to them. This allowed Farial to become a trusted, stable and supportive presence in her life. With someone to talk to, Amayah was able to open up about her anxiety and begin crafting a plan to build her confidence in herself. 

Farial organised for Amayah to take part in the ‘First Love Yourself’ project run by WLZ partner charity MOVE. This programme, which creates a safe space for females to explore what it means to be a girl and to love themselves, inspired and empowered Amayah both inside and out of school. 

Seeing that Amayah could thrive academically with more belief in her abilities, Farial also organised tutoring sessions with another of our partners Action Tutoring. They encouraged her to focus on her school work, aim higher and think aspirationally about her future. During the course of these sessions she improved greatly, particularly in English. 

After WLZ

Having initially struggled with her emotional wellbeing and peer relationships, by the end of her two-year programme Amayah had improved significantly and was measured as ‘no longer at risk’ in these areas. 

She went on to take her GCSEs the year after the WLZ programme, and she is very proud of the results she achieved. These brilliant results meant she was able to attend St Charles Sixth Form in North Kensington to take her A-Levels in English Literature, Sociology and Politics. With her anxiety about what she can achieve no longer an obstacle, her plan is to apply for university, with the goal of pursuing a career in Law. 

In addition to her academic progress, Amayah was also motivated by her time with WLZ to  complete a beauty course over the Summer after ending the programme and has now set up her own beauty business. We are sure to see great things from her in the future!