Azeem Ahmad
A Calling to Donate My name is Azeem. I’m thirty-three years old and have lived in Newcastle all of my life. I have donated bone marrow, blood and even a kidney – all to complete strangers – here is my tale. In 2005, I went to Leeds University to study a degree in communication studies. […]
Madiha Sosan
A Tough Beginning in Pakistan I’ve been through so much in my life but, no matter what, I will not be held back by the 15-year prison sentence I gave myself. Hi, I’m Madiha. I was born in Pakistan where I lived with my mother and father. We had no money, hardly any possessions; life […]
Sean Bailey
Early Dreams and Setbacks If I told you that I had met Michelle Obama, David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson, you might think I was some kind of sporting celebrity. However, the journey that I’ve taken is perhaps not what you would expect… I’m Sean, born in Newton Le Willows in North West England. Growing […]
Jacob Manyang
A Childhood in the Midst of War I’m a 33-year-old and was born in South Sudan during an intense civil war between the ages of 4 and 8 who took both my mother and my father’s life. I am one of their four children; I have a brother living in the US and a brother […]
Aparna Johri
An Unexpected Journey I was born to a loving mother and father in Uttar Pradesh in India, who provided me with a level of education that was rarely available to girls at the time. This allowed me to attend university, graduate as a BioTech Engineer and start working. I wasn’t interested in dating, as I […]
Nathaniel Hall
© Anton Mellor Uncovering My Truth I was in school all the way through Section 28, which prohibited the promotion and discussion of homosexuality in the school environment. It was a homophobic place with often severe bullying. I was a straight-A student with a passion for theatre and went on to become head boy, but […]
Rory Toser
A Promising Start I was born and raised in a small village in north Wales, living with my amazing family; mum, dad, and my older brother of 18 months. After high school, I started college but dropped out quite early on. I was in and out of dead-end jobs, including bar work in Greece before […]
Nick Ornella
Have you ever had huge plans and dreams and just needed that push to go and achieve them? Well, my push was one of the hardest moments of my adult life but it created one of my best adventures! Hey! I’m Nick, 34 years old from Cincinnati, Ohio (USA). I’m the middle child with a […]
Syd Barnes
The day I was born Manchester United beat Manchester City; which was a sign of the turmoil to come. I’m the eldest of three boys born to our care worker mother and gardener father; your typical loving family living on a Manchester council estate in the sixties. I never took school seriously and loved playing […]
Owiny Hakiim
A Childhood in a War Zone In Agago District (Northern Uganda) in 1986 I was born, the only child of my mother and one of fifteen to my polygamy father. Despite my disagreements with my father’s approach to women, he was a good man who worked for the local government and as my elder, […]