Mothers and Daughters Graduate at House of Lords
Baroness Hayman, the first Lord Speaker, and Baroness Pola Uddin welcomed 70 mothers and their daughters in a unique graduation ceremony at the House of Lords on Thursday, 18th June. The event marked the achievements of Muslim Mothers and their daughters who participated in the Mosaic Primary School Project, generously funded by Mr Asif Aziz.
The ceremony publicly celebrated the achievements of 25 Muslim mothers and 35 girls, who completed an 8 week course designed to increase mothers' capacity to support their daughters by providing them with confidence, knowledge of the British education system, and a sense of empowerment about their own abilities. For girls, the project has helped instil confidence at a younger age, broadened horizons, encouraged aspirations, and helped prevent issues that often come up in secondary school. Uniquely, Mosaic's female Muslim mentors have been actively involved in the workshops, lending their personal experiences and professional expertise to the programme.
Asif Aziz, board member of Mosaic and sole financer of the programme, approached Mosaic with the idea for the programme in October 2008. He says:-
"Islam asks us to embrace knowledge. Education does not mean a compromise of religion or culture, it means options and choices - this is what makes us independent.
"We should all be concerned with supporting young people to maximise their opportunities within the education system. There are particular issues in regards to supporting young girls and this project attempts to inspire them at the earliest opportunity as well as support their mothers in increasing their own understanding of how they in turn can support their daughters."
Guests heard about the reasons for the project's creation and its impacts. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who also attended, spoke about her upbringing as a young Muslim girl and how she got into the law and then into politics. Mothers and daughters received certificates from Baroness Uddin, the first female Muslim peer.
For more information
To find out more or become involved in the Primary Schools Mentoring programme, please contact Punam Kharbanda - punam.kharbanda@bitc.org.uk / 020 7566 8669.