My name is Safia, and I’m a proud alumna of the Drive Forward Foundation. Going into care was a very lonely experience.

It’s hard to explain all the emotions at once – I felt sad, scared, but strangely a little bit excited too. I was excited at the thought of freedom and independence, but that was mixed with anxiety. It was just me, and I had to rely on myself to get through it. That kind of resilience doesn’t just appear – you dig deep to find it, because there’s no one else. You’ve only got you.

People didn’t often see what I was really feeling. I’d smile, I’d pretend I was fine, but under the surface? There were red flags. I wish someone had looked a little closer – had asked, “What are you actually feeling?” Because sometimes, all we need is someone to ask.

I left care formally at 24, and I didn’t know what was next. But Drive Forward Foundation changed that. I met Felix after I left Camden Council and was looking for something new. Through his relationship with the Jobcentre, I found out about the Care Leaver Internship in the civil service. Honestly? I didn’t think someone like me could ever be in the civil service. But Felix believed I could.

He became my mentor. He didn’t just help me with applications or job prep — he helped me realise what I was good at, where I could grow. And even after I joined the civil service, when I had doubts and called him saying, “I don’t think this is for me,” he was there. That kind of support doesn’t fade.

Drive Forward wasn’t just a stepping stone; they were a foundation. Three years on, I’m 27 now, and I can still pick up the phone and know they’re in my corner. That’s rare. That’s special.

If I could speak to my 15-year-old self, I’d say:
It’s okay. You’ve got so much potential. You don’t even know yet how far you can go.
Believe in yourself — mind over matter. Whatever you put your mind to, you can do.

Looking ahead? I want to open my own charity. I want to support people who’ve been through what I’ve been through — because lived experience should be at the heart of decision-making. I want to influence policy, to change systems that didn’t work for me when I was young. I dream of setting up a family independence unit — built by someone who gets it.

Because of Drive Forward, that dream no longer feels far away. It feels possible.