This World Cancer Day 2021 I'd like to share my precious memories of my Amee (mother) Mrs Meshar Mumtaz Bano and the precious time we shared together when we visited Javed Manzil, Badshahi Mosque and Shalimar Gardens, Lahore, 2012.
I hope my words and videos will encourage other South East Asian Diaspora to talk openly about their loss, grief and bereavement.
This month I continued to heal from surgery.
Embraced Ramadan 2020 under Covid-19 conditions by participating in Observing Ramadan in Britain/Overseas Research project.
Supported World Fair Trade Day 2020, Dubai, UAE by recording a video and promoted fair trade artisans.
I expressed an interest to participate in the Observing Ramadan in Britain and Overseas Photo Research Project.
This project was conceived by Phd researcher Laura Jones - Cardiff University.
I've been asked to take at least one photograph for every day of Ramadan and provide a short explanation.
Ramadan Mubarak/Kareem to all my friends and family around the world.
So here I am for the eighth consecutive year participating in the Six Items Challenge 2020 with Labour Behind The Label.
This year the challenge commenced 26th February - 9th April 2020.
During the fashion fast my beloved grandmother returned to her maker, the world faced Covid 19, I had surgery for a ruptured cyst and observed Lockdown to protect key workers.
Congratulations to all the Sixers and everyone who supported garment workers at this critical time.
This month I had emergency surgery for a ruptured cyst,
was featured by Pioneers Post, participated in my eighth Six Items Challenge 2020 with Labour Behind The Label and
celebrated Earth Hour Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Hello! My name is Sabeena Ahmed.
I'm a fairtrade campaigner, educator and social entrepreneur.
I was born and educated in Manchester, UK.
I'm a qualified PGCE ESOL Practitioner, adore fairtrade chocolate and support breast cancer research.
I promote the sustainable development goals, fair trade ethical living and the circular economy.
This is a brief summary of my fairtrade activities and campaigns in the United Arab Emirates spanning 2009 to 2020.
During April/May of 2014 I decided to participate with Practical Action and the Live Below The Line 2014 UK campaign to highlight how 1 billion people around the world slept hungry every night and lived on less than one dollar a day.
The issue is one that is very close to my heart as my fairtrade work focuses on alleviating poverty.
Fairtrade supports the Sustainable Development Goals, and every individual deserves to live with dignity, respect and not spend a single night hungry.
In this blog I explain how Fairtrade supports the Sustainable Development Goals and how I have attempted to implement them in my everyday work and life.
I have concentrated on the following SDG's, SDG1, SDG2, SDG5, SDG8, SDG10, SDG12, SDG13, SDG16 and SDG17.
This July I edited my interview with Alex Schmidt and Marie Louise of Valy Export, Madagascar.
Participated in Plastic Free July 2019 and completed a MOOC with Future Learn titled Fashion's Future: Sustainable Development Goals Fashion Revolution
I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Alex Schmidt from Valy Export Madagascar mid April.
I invited him and his wife Marie Louise for lunch to learn more about their fair trade business.
This May I received my certificate for the Future Learn MOOC
' Make Change Happen' with Oxfam and the Open University.
I embraced Ramadan 2019 and
celebrated World Fair Trade Day 2019.
It was a dream come true to final land in the native country of my parents birth, India.
I arrived in Dehli and was greeted by a beautiful warm evening.
What followed was one of the most memorable weeks of my life.
I met distant family and visited two World Fair Trade Certified Organizations, M.E.S.H and Tara Projects.
Many thanks to Mathew K and Ms Moon Sharma for their time.
It was a dream come true to finally travel to the country of my parents birth, India.
I arrived in Dehli and was greeted by a beautiful warm evening.
I was humbled and privileged to visit two World Fair Trade Certified Organizations, M.E.S.H and Tara Projects.
Many thanks to Mathew K and Ms Moon Sharma for their time, care and hospitality.
Sadly, I was unable to interview Mathew, Ms Jacky Bonnie or the producer groups on this occasion and hope to interview them the next time I visit.
Isatou Ceesay and son Madou stayed with me for 5 days during their 7 day visit
to Dubai.
Isatou Ceesay is an environmental activist and social entrepreneur from Njau, Gambia.
For over 18 years she has been reducing the use of single use plastic.
She has co-authored a book about her plastic journey titled One Plastic Journey with Miranda Paul who I interviewed April 19.
So here I am for the seventh consecutive year I'm participating in the Six Items Challenge with Labour Behind The Label.
This year the challenge commences 6th March - 18th April March 2019.
I have decided to participate and support the Six Items Challenge for the eighth year because I started to campaign for garment and factory workers while caring for my mother who had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
The six items challenge means I choose six items of clothing to wear for six weeks.
Don't worry!
This does not include under garments or exercise gear. You can wear an endless supply of these. :)
I submitted my video for Be the Change Awards 2019.
Many thanks to Sian Conway and Jo Salter for their dedication and tireless work to make the Be The Change Awards successful.
This year I celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2019 Dubai with friends.
What is Fairtrade Fortnight?
For two weeks each year, thousands of individuals, companies and groups across the UK come together to celebrate the people who grow our food, people who live in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid.
This year the Fairtrade Foundation are focusing on the people, in particular the women who grow the cocoa in the chocolate we love so much.
This January I completed my Social Business Canvas, Graduation Presentation and Reflective Artifact for the Badiri Social Enterpreneurship Programme and School For Social Entrepreneurs International Scholarship Programme 2018.
Congratulations to my peers on your graduation.
I wish you all every success with your concepts and businesses.
Sabeena X
The 21st January 2019 was a day I will never forget.
I finally completed my scholarship programme with the Badiri Academy, NAMA, UAE and the School For Social Entrepreneurs London, UK.
I presented my graduation presentation and received my certificate.
Many thanks to Jo Van Osch my mentor for supporting me throughout the programme.
I was honoured to attend a workshop on entrepreneurship with renowned writer and computer tech expert/genius Bel Pesce.
Many thanks to NAMA and the BSEP team for organising this event.
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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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