Claiming Your Power

Time to Get Personal

I’m the middle child and only daughter. I was confused throughout most my childhood about what it meant to be the only girl in my family, alongside my three brothers. But my confusion was...

Dig Deep and Keep Going

I do all of the things other young people my age do, like hang out with my friends, watch Youtube and Netflix, and listen to music. There are days when I don’t feel pretty and days when I...

Persevere: Greatness Awaits You

I grew up in what was referred to as a squatters community or captured land. Families living there were below the poverty line. It meant that most were living in poor conditions and seeking...

She Chose to Walk Away

Being born into a Pakistani family, it’s not easy to stop listening to what people are saying about you: about the way you dress, you walk, you talk, or you smile. I had to choose between...

It Will Never Rain Roses

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.” – ​Mary Anne Evans, known as George Eliot I was born and raised in a very small town in...

Thinking Global

Growing up, people most often identified me as the “dark-skinned girl” or the “charcoal seller’s daughter.” I come from a community where most daughters end up taking over their...