'In Our Shoes' - Fatima's Story

Fatima's immense courage in sharing her story is conveyed here. Born in Northern Ireland, with diverse heritage, she has still had to face Islamophobia, hate crimes, racism, and discrimination throughout her entire life. Crimes that may not have been a priority for the officials at the time, but the trauma developed through these experiences would undoubtedly have long-lasting effects on any individual. With determination and a strong mindset, Fatima works as an advocate and supports asylum-seekers and refugees in her community, to ensure that no other young people have to go through the hardships she has faced.

Fatima states, "My name is Fatima. I was born in Belfast and have unfortunately grown up subjected to a lot of hate crime and Islamophobia. When I was younger, I never really understood what was different about me apart from my name. It's taken for me to grow up to understand it all, and being a part of the project has helped me to process things and hopefully make a change for other people going through similar issues. I feel it is important for there to be more awareness of what some people go through."

"In Our Shoes" was developed by Voicing the Void in collaboration with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, South Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership, and supported by the Community Fund and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Our goal is to bridge the gap between diverse communities and the PSNI, cultivating understanding, empathy, and cohesion within South Belfast's communities. Central to our initiative is the transformative power of restorative storytelling. This poem demonstrates its potential to inspire significant change, and our hope is to see this initiative extend into communities across all of Northern Ireland.

Directed/Edited by Colm Teague
Produced by Rory Doherty @ Voicing the Void

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