"Moving to London from Brazil with an 8-month-old baby and no support network was incredibly challenging. I had to find local services on my own and often felt lonely and isolated.
When my second child was born during the pandemic, things became even harder. My partner was working long hours, my family couldn't visit, and I struggled to see myself as anything other than a mum.
I found out about the Lambeth Parent Champions Programme in 2021, when my eldest started part-time at nursery and I was attending playgroups and baby courses with my youngest.
I decided to join because I wanted to help other families not go through the same challenges I did. And the encouragement I received from my coordinator from day one played a vital role in helping me grow in confidence, inspiring me to reach out to families and share information.
Over the years, I have supported hundreds of families at community events, delivered early literacy programmes, joined parent advisory groups, shared information both in person and online, led sessions in English and Portuguese, and even worked with the Early Years Commissioning Team to contribute to tender applications.
My volunteering has also opened doors to a wide range of new opportunities, including working with a Latin American organisation, delivering workshops, providing interpreting services, and serving as both a Community Representative with the London Community Foundation and a Peer Researcher at Coram.
Becoming a Parent Champion has had a profound and lasting impact on my life. It has given me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone, become more empathetic, develop new skills, build meaningful professional and personal relationships, and discover what truly matters to me and the professional path I want to pursue.
After four and a half enjoyable years, I feel grateful, empowered, proud and motivated to continue making a positive difference in the lives of families."