Alina has faced so much in her life. She grew up in what she describes as “extreme poverty”. She is a member of the Roma community, something she didn’t always celebrate. As she travelled around the world she would often be mistaken for another heritage, “passing” as she calls it. Now she realises that in order for one to celebrate their culture, they need to take ownership of it, change the narrative by doing good things, and be the example that others can be proud of too.

I took so much away from my chat with Alina today, a conversation that will stick with me and a beautiful poem that provided such a personal perspective.