The Boujie Philanthropist

Call me the Boujiee Philanthropist, the Kim K of South east but with less money and ok ok ass too lol. Since the age of 15 I have been advocating on the behalf of children in care (I feel old) dissecting the cracks in the care system, ensuring young people are kept at the heart of practise. The aim; to improve relationships between those looked after and the local authorities with the hope to change the outcomes of those that have been in the care system.
Being a care leaver myself; I could have gone down so many different paths, it sometimes feels as though I still could tbh. It wasn’t until I had accepted my circumstance and truly felt at peace with knowing that being placed into care was the best possible decision that the weight had slightly lifted. Getting to know other children in care, saddened and shocked me when I realised that not everyone had the same loving and positive care experience like I had. I was desperate for that to change because I understood the importance of being raised in a loving home, no one truly knows the heartache and confusion that comes with being separated from your loved ones and often that can leave you pondering on who you are.

At first I questioned what right I had to use social media as a platform to give the world an insight into life as a care leaver. How could I possibly lead by example when my life was a mess itself? (behind closed doors). But then it dawned on me that, lol the life of a young person that is in the care system is usually a messy one and considering what I’ve been through, things could be a lot worse. So as seen in my bio (check it out if you haven’t) I vow to my readers; to be open and truthful through my work, as lessons are learnt and wisdom gained through experience and I am neither perfect or without flaws but confident enough in myself and the process that through my work I educate, break taboos & stereotypes but most importantly inspire & encourage.
Being open with you all, has definitely been a challenge and I can admit it is something I still need to work on. Not just for my readers benefit but also for my own, I often find myself mute at the thought and Idea that someone could possibly want to see me fail forgetting that I owe my readers and followers transparency.

At the new age of 24, I was taken aback by the thought that I am still finding out who I am. Piecing bits together on this crazy journey and evolving through circumstance, having recently been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, I am navigating through different means.

I have always tried to be true to myself and as a blogger I am aware that the work I do for some maybe seen as a reflection of who I am. Sometimes I would find myself tip toeing around or binning decisions that maybe seen as ‘inappropriate’ or ‘not acceptable’ in this area of work. Whether that’s to do with a raunchy insta pic, bad ass captions or controversial tweets, I was apprehensive that how I presented myself would undermine my work. Until I realised that I am the care experienced, the service user and no one knows or feels it better than me and this is the outcome. This is me; the product of my environment, experience and trauma.
And to be honest other than that, I love it. I love feeling and being the best me. My foster mum encouraged that a lot. I don’t know if it’s me or just the hunger for wanting more when you come from nothing to want everything and it has to be the best of everything. Which means I can often be my own worst enemy either way, I think that’s why I am the way I am.

I always encourage self reflection as mentioned in previous posts, real true happiness has always been an ongoing issue for me and as a result I find myself indulging in things that make me momentarily happy. Nice things lol, of course there’s the pros and cons to this. But if I looked how I felt most of the time it would be a site for sore eyes. I’ve never really looked at Kim Kardashian West as someone who was particularly inspiring. Motivating maybe lol but recently she sparked my interest in how she uses her platform to create positive change whilst remaining herself. Recently Kim K, known to break the internet with her social media presence, decided to embark on a new journey following in the footsteps of her father as a lawyer. The reality star began a 4 year apprenticeship with a law firm and was called to the White house to help advise change on the system of clemency. I mean this is music to my ears, the type of influence I want to have. But the bad outweighs the good, I hear someone say lol but personally I think; in no way does it discredit her work because either way she has made it happen and regardless of what you are doing people will always have something to say.
Recently I found myself thinking, if I wasn’t in care, who would I actually be, what would I do? Would I still be passionate and dedicated to creating change for the most vulnerable in today’s society if it hasn’t affected me directly. And in my hearts of hearts, I honestly think I would. There is too many young people, that need change (see article below).