Meet the Voice and Influence Workers

Wilster Mafoti

What was your proudest achievement?

"Getting the 21-25 Personal Advisor for Care Leavers policy changed. "

What is your specialism?

"I work towards increasing creative access and improving the criminal justice system for care experienced people."

Why did you choose your poem?

"I chose this poem because it’s authentic and raw. It’s written by Katie, a member of Sheffield Care Leaver’s Union."
 

Wilster's poem

Our Sheffield, our poem

 

Our Sheffield is a peaceful city, a brilliant city it’s our city.

Our Sheffield is big, a friendly person, a shop called game.

Our Sheffield is the mighty blades, its adventures in the peak district.

Its beauty in buildings and people.

 

Our Sheffield is buying a bit of what you fancy, it’s that northern grit, it’s the understated kindness.

Our Sheffield is giggling on the super tram and pretzels in Meadowhall.

It's pigeons everywhere.

It’s friends, it’s us,

it’s you,

it's art.

---

Rae Sloan

What was your proudest achievement?

"My proudest achievement is getting Sheffield City Council to make Care Experience a protected characteristic."

What is your specialism?

"Helping to support decisions around homes for young people."

Why did you choose your poem?

"I chose this poem to give social work students an insight into what it’s like to work with care experienced young people."

Rae's poem

I used to...

Run as fast as the wind 

Jump and spin and twirl, only caring how big my skirt would go.

Catapulting into a cartwheel that needed a crash landing and somehow making a comeback each time.

I remember danger just being a grown-up thing.

By Mizata

---

Jake Schuette 

What is your proudest achievement?

"Making a podcast on important topics for care leavers, leading to more training for foster carers on LGBT+ issues."

What is your specialism?

"Campaigning for better training around LGBT+."  

Why did you choose your poem?

"I chose this poem because it touches on letting kids be kids. There is so much hope in there - life might be tough at times but there’s hope and light at the end of the tunnel."     

Jake's poem

Dream

We dream of a place where there are no people without food or water, and black outs and natural disasters are a thing of the past. We dream of a place where there is no racism and there is a universally accepted theory that everyone's ancestors came from the same place. Some just changed more than others in order to survive but we are all from the same family tree. We dream of a place without homophobic people that just call us slurs, just because we love who we love. That's not right. It's hate and that's not needed at all in today's society. At the end of the day who other people love is just not your business. Unless someone tells you then you are probably an ally on LGBT plus yourself. We dream of a place without any violence, it's not the answer to anything. It will just get you into trouble. Is it really worth a bad record or the time locked up? Even when that person has done something horrible to you or someone you care about? Violence just isn't the answer. Find a different way to right injustice. We dream of a place without the Tories, Donald Trump, Boris Johnson or Joe Biden. We don't need to say any more about that matter. A place where kids can wear what they want and play with any toy they wish. They're just kids at the end of the day, who are trying to figure out who they are. I'm not finished yet. Stay seated. A place where no one needs to borrow or lend money from the banks and no one needs to worry about money and struggle month to month. Where there's plenty of jobs to go around and plenty of opportunities for people. We dream of a place where having mental health struggles, anxiety, physical disabilities, or learning difficulties never put people at a disadvantage. And they are just accepted as they are. A place no one would be shamed for being too skinny, too fat, too strong or too weak. We dream of a place where all students have very similar levels of education. This is our place.

---

Belinda Omorodion

What was your proudest achievement?

"My proudest achievement is helping to support a service manager on delegating authority between carers of young people."

What is your specialism?

"Health and Further Education."

Why did you choose your poem?

"I chose this poem because it encapsulates the care experience very well. It’s something that most people who have been in the care system can really relate to."

Belinda's Poem

Dear society

 

Listen up! Listen up!

We are who we are, don’t try

to change us into perfect people.

I am not afraid of who I am.

I am not afraid of your judgement.

I am as clever as everyone else.

 

I am not the same as everyone else,

 so don’t compare me to others –

I am my own person.

I am special.

 

I am not distractions in class.

I am a learner with aspirations and goals.

I will break the mould my family couldn’t.

 

Don’t define me by my past,

I am a rational, autonomous being.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

I am not a destructive youth.

 

I am not different from my peers just because of my past.

No, I am different because I am me and that’s something I’m proud to be.

I am confident.

I am not afraid to stand up for myself and I’m not afraid of other people,

     because I am not a horrible person who cares only for myself.

I don’t silently judge others.

 

I am love. I am dreams.

I am hope.

I am not your stereotype.