Southampton Grassroot Influencers

this in mind that we aim to provide a number of new Friendship Groups where small groups of community members can discuss topics that are important and relevant to them. The purpose of these Friendship Groups is to create a ‘family’ of friends that we can share life experiences with.

If you would like to join one of the Friendship Groups, We are a community group based in Hampshire, Southampton. Our aim is to bring women in Hampshire together and share in social and cultural events by building a strong community, which will provide the all women with opportunity to share their culture within the community. Our mission is to embrace/adapt to the British culture, to teach our children to embrace values, sense of belonging, self-esteem for the young ones, and the wider family background. Under the same umbrella, we have a sisterhood group which empowers women and inspires our young girls to never doubt that they are valuable and powerful. We believe there is no limit to what we can accomplish and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve our dreams. please contact me at the email address above. Life Development are interested in making contact with well-meaning groups within the community of Reading and from the wide range of ethnic and cultural diversity. Lastly, we would like to thank the editors of this magazine for the opportunity to tell our story and

SOUTHAMPTON GRASS ROOT INFLUENCERS.

to reach out to all its readers.

TIME TO RELAX, RESET AND REFOCUS DURING LOCKDOWN By Mary Gatu

Year 2020 is a period of time that humanity at large has experienced extreme difficulties that have impacted us in all aspects of our livelihood: Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically, Financially and Socially, Spiritually- Generally, Most people find comfort and get support from their faith communities, but during lockdown while many may have thrived by maximising their serene moments and appreciation of less busyness, others may have struggled to stay positive and to continue encouraging themselves to stay afloat, loneliness and limited support from their loved ones, may have left many questioning their faith. Personally Lockdown was a time that meant spending more quality time meditating about my spiritual journey and time with family too, and as a result my roots of faith have grown deeper to enable me withstand storms of life ahead of me. We have also grown in love and care for one another drastically as a family unit. Emotionally, since we are relational beings, we tend to desire acknowledgement and acceptance from others. We all gravitate towards expressing love and receiving love, this notion creates in us emotions that fuel our dreams and aspirations. During lockdown it meant that majority of people missed this booster that helps nurture their emotional wellbeing. Personally, this time, I am grateful because I had my children living with me and it was a time that we used to strengthen our family bonds. It was a time we told stories, cooked together, shared memories, prayed and praised God together. We all have grown in our relationships to a great extent. Physically- We can’t underestimate the importance of our physical wellbeing. While most people often struggle with their physical health, during Lockdown it was a reality to such individuals with limited mobility and less Human connection and that grieved my heart during lockdown. Personally during lockdown, I was able to do indoor activities including exercise, deep cleaning and tidying up my home, and when we were allowed to exercise again, I appreciated the fact that I could go out for walks and jogging regularly. With this daily routine, I often felt energetic and enjoyed being outdoors admiring the beautiful nature and creation and Meditatively absorbing the fresh air and energy that nature gives to us daily. Financially- This lockdown effects were most felt by people who lost jobs or businesses it must have been undoubtably stressful for such individuals. A great struggle trying to make ends meet. Though the government did fairy well to support people as much as possible, it wasn’t a smooth sailing for everyone. Personally- I was able to continue working from home. This was a blessing in disguise because I was also able to home-school my kids. The following quotation is from the bible and it’s a good reminder that the creator of this universe is still in control of his creation without any doubt. And no matter how tough life may become, God has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us. Let us not lose faith and we shall rise above every obstacle along the was of this journey of life.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 -Holy Bible

In conclusion I have learnt that the most important things in life are , good health, sufficient food and drink, a home to live and good relationships.