In April 2004 my mum left our small town of Luanshya in Northern Zambia and embarked on the longest journey she had ever been on. A lot of African nurses were being recruited to the UK and a lot of them took advantage of this opportunity. At the end of the month mum started off for the UK leaving behind all the things she had collected over the years for a new life in London. She moved to a new country without knowing how things were going to work out. She had a good job as a sister in charge at our local hospital but she risked it all by going to a foreign country. She left everything behind, the only thing she had with her were her clothes and a dream for a better life for us. In 2005 my dad, my brother and I joined mum in the UK and I have to say I will always be grateful to my mum for risking it all so that we can have it all.
The greatest decisions are not always the easiest decisions, a lot of people have got dreams to do great things in their lives but they are always scared to risk it all to get it all. There is one thing I have learnt about making decisions, there are no assurances, sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. However not making a decision has never made a man or a woman successful, if all my mum did was wish that that she could get to the UK and did nothing about it, my brother and I could not have had the life we have now. In my book Arise and Shine I say that for who I am and what I am I owe it to my mother. I owe it all to the decisions she has made in the past and for moving us here so that we can have the opportunities we have now. What can you risk today so that you can have it all?