Fatumata Bah arrived in New Zealand as a refugee. She was a baby, and her parents were fleeing a civil war. Today she’s representing the country.
Fatumata Bah outside Mt Roskill Community Centre. Photo: RNZ / Lynda Chanwai-Earle
"Over the years, it’s been a rarity to see another African person in Auckland,” says Fatumata Bah.
Papatoetoe has been home for her since 1996 when her parents arrived as refugees from civil war-stricken Sierra Leone.
“It’s like, 'oh look - there’s another black person who looks like me!' Auckland is becoming so much more diverse - not just Auckland but New Zealand as a whole.”
Today she’s representing the country in Glasgow, at the start of the 33Sixty Commonwealth young leaders programme. The conference takes its name from the fact that 33 percent of world’s population lives in Commonwealth and 60 percent of them are under the age of 30.
At home, the 22-year-old is already a voice for her community. She’s an outspoken member of the African Youth Forum and an alumni of the Office of Ethnic Communities Young Leaders programme.
There’s a need to have young ethnic leaders in representations of local level as well as government, and at senior levels in private or public sectors, she says.
Fatumata may have shown signs of being a young leader as a child, says her father Kabba Bah, who’s a member of the Federation of Islamic Associations, NZ. She was always quite “bossy” as a child, he laughs.
“Parents will always be proud of their children’s achievements. For every success there’s room for improvement - that’s what drives her,” he says.
Kabba Bah and Fatumata Bah at home in Papatoetoe. Photo: RNZ / Lynda Chanwai-Earle
Both father and daughter agree that their job is to break down negative stereotypes about Africans and Muslims.
Fatumata says contrary to popular belief, growing up with her father as a role model had led her to become an Islamic feminist.
“He studied Islamic law in Saudi Arabia - he built for me a strong foundation as a Muslim but also as an Islamic feminist. If people feel the need to place their stereotype on me, I will speak out."
Her mother Aissata is a formidable woman who she looks up to as well, she says.
Fatumata grew up with her parents dedication to helping the African community in New Zealand and she wants carry that to her generation.
"I think it’s a necessity to get our ethnic youth out there to be involved, not just at a community level but also in the wider sense, in national and in global issues," she says.
As a “black woman in a hijab”, she says she faces discrimination regularly but now she can make a difference on the world stage.
Fatumata’s health has also created challenges for her.
She was born with sickle-cell anaemia, a severe hereditary form of anaemia in which a mutated form of haemoglobin distorts the red blood cells into a crescent shape at low oxygen levels.
Fatumata's spleen and gall bladder were removed in 2009 and she faces numerous hospital visits every year. She tells me oxygen is her best friend on long-haul flights when she travels internationally.
But she hasn’t lost her sense of humour.
“Life is worth fighting for, as cheesy and corny as it sounds! I’ve been blessed with people in my life who did not allow my surgeries or road-blocks to define me.
“Life gives you lemons and you make lemonade, with lots of sugar!”
LISTEN to a story about Fatumata Bah from RNZ:
A version of this story by Lynda Chanwai-Earle was first published on radionz.co.nz.
