... I am pursuing this degree to specialise in a career that will allow me to support , uplift and advocate for others regardless of circumstances ... the sky is the limit , no matter where [ you ] are from .”
... I am pursuing this degree to specialise in a career that will allow me to support , uplift and advocate for others regardless of circumstances ... the sky is the limit , no matter where [ you ] are from .”
with members of the African and Caribbean communities as narrators of their own voice , story and excellence ( Hylton 1999 ).
The UJIMA project is one example . Another example is the formation of the Leeds bicentenary transformation project , highlighting African achievement , liberation and aspiration , led by Arthur France , Joe Williams and others .
An educational and mentoring project to promote self-worth , meaning and pride amongst the youth of Leeds , the project was impactful among thousands of children from all backgrounds , with an integration of funding from the Heritage Lottery fund , Education Leeds , Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and Leeds City Council , with a grant totalling £ 455,366 .
Mentoring , whether formal and / or informal , are mechanisms that are successful in growing and developing professionals at all levels of the professional journey . The absence of mentoring in the African and Caribbean community can cast a shadow of occupational alienation , resulting in children and young people being set at a disadvantage as a result of low educational outcomes .
This in turn can serve as an inhibitor , throughout childhood into adulthood , to fulfil one ’ s occupational potential . It is important to address these inhibiting processes – race , race issues , racism , sexism , homophobia , transphobia , disablism and ageism etc – if we are to develop an occupationally just and humane world .
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Hylton C ( 1999 ) African-Caribbean community organisations : the search for Individual and group identity . London . Trentham Books Ltd .
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Words DR BLAINE ROBIN is a research active with a special interest in underrepresented groups in all aspects of the occupational therapy profession and patient care . He is part of a team of scholars and academics at Leeds Beckett University who are active in mentoring students from all backgrounds . With contributions from Marina Active , Luis Palmer , Jacob Dwan and Charmaine Tinarwo
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Fisher K ( 2019 ) Embracing Ujima : A grounded theory of African Americans choosing the counseling profession . Available at bit . ly / 465wD5g [ accessed 13 July 2023 ].
30 OTnews October 2023