Finding Peace and Positivity

For the past year Maryam, 15, has suffered from ill health and is learning to cope with the help of her family and friends. Maryam compares her illness to feeling disorientated and looking through a lens at the world around her. Going for long walks, coffee outings with her older brother, dinner with her friends and sunset drives with her mum all help Maryam to find peace and feel more positive. Maryam has always been interested in photography and enjoyed learning how to use her camera. 

Maryam says DofE has provided her with life skills, such as teamwork and perseverance, along with boosting her confidence and introducing her to new people. It also provided her with a much-needed distraction when she fell ill with stomach problems which remain undiagnosed. She has now joined the DofE’s Photographers Without Limits 2022, which aims to raise the voice of young people from marginalised backgrounds by giving them the skills and experience to tell their own stories through pictures.  

She hopes to share her story of how she’s coped with an illness that has seen her miss school and affected her mental health. She credits walks, music and the support of friends and family with helping her through such a challenging time. She says she feels privileged to be part of the photography project and adds that it is just one more positive DofE experience to add to a growing list.