Teen joins dad on volunteer mission

Rather than sit around playing computer games or getting bored, Zakaria Mohammed Rahman decided to join his Labour activist father Mish on delivery rounds across the Midlands.

And the 15-year-old Year 10 pupil at Aldridge School is encouraging more of his peers to get involved and help others.

He said: “Its really important to help people who need help during difficult times.

“I’m also happy to help my dad deliver this essential service to the community.

“I would encourage other young people my age to help others too so we can create a caring society.”

Mish Rahman, who is one of a number of community activists who formed Walsall Stands Against Coronavirus, said he was proud of his son’s efforts.

He said: “The first time we delivered, he said it felt like a special mission on a video game, going round delivering parcels to various addresses.

“He is in Year 10 going into Year 11 at Aldridge School and has a lot of online schoolwork so this is a good extra curricular activity.

“Of course I am very proud and I hope he continues as an adult with a similar selfless mentality.

“It has opened his eyes in terms of peoples needs and how lucky we are and how we take everything for granted when people due to a crisis like this have to resort to other peoples help for basics and essentials.

“It has also opened his eyes to poverty and destitution.”

Among the initiatives they have got involved with are supporting Walsall Outreach, assisting Streetly-based Hotline Cars’ delivery service for vulnerable people in the area and teaming up with fellow activist Andrea Bradley to distribute food parcels from Darlaston Town Hall Food back to local residents.

They also helped Bengal Relish – owned by Mr Rahman’s uncle Shah Ali – deliver food to Walsall Manor Hospital and a Willenhall care home.

The Rahmans have also been supporting Birmingham councillor Nicky Brennan’s Brum Baby Bank initiative which has seen them go out and deliver items such as baby food and nappies to isolated mothers.

In addition to this Mr Rahman holds online community meetings with the Bangladeshi community and helps his local mosque in the coordinating of funeral arrangements in accordance with Government guidelines.

He said: “People have obviously been appreciative, however its important to recognise that at this time of need and crisis, anybody could have been in that situation, stranded for various reasons, so it was important to also assure those who we helped, that it was going to be ok and we were there for them.”

Mr Rahman said he followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming an activist but also had other personal reasons for throwing himself into the Covid volunteer relief efforts.

He said: “It is my obligation I feel as someone who is able to help others to do this, its a privilege.

“On New Years Day in 2019, I was in ICU in the Manor Hospital with pneumonia plugged to the same ventilators we are short of today.

“I was very lucky to be survived as my oxygen levels had dropped and only because my GP sister came to visit were we aware and she called an ambulance.

“I was in intensive care for eight days. So I am now lucky to be here when the whole world is feeling the same pain and danger I felt a year ago.”

He added: “I have been a community activist since a young age and my father was a community activist before me.

“When I was in my teens, I would accompany my father during his activism and I learnt first hand from him, the importance of supporting the community.

“Sadly my father passed in 2006 and I believe in legacy. My father helped establish the Bangladeshi community in Walsall in the 70s and 80s, that’s done now.

“I was a young activist in the 90s and early 2000s, the community and its people have achieved establishing themselves and now continue to achieve and aspire allowing me and future generations to integrate and serve the whole wider community and not just focus on one or two groups.

“That is the legacy of my father and his generation as a son and grandson of immigrants.

“My grandfather also showed my father the ropes as a former foundry worker and miner in the 50’s and 60’s. My family have lived in Walsall since 1960.

“For me to be able to do that is down to my father. I do have various responsibilities in various organisations due to my continued activism, locally, regionally and nationally.

“I am proud that my son was happy to participate. He is aware of his grandfather and his great grandfather and he too is already an active Labour Party member who is responsible for social media on my Short Heath campaign.

“It’s important that he too takes an active part in community activism.”