Chérie Bosama, now 21, was originally born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Manchester aged ten. She is an academic achiever and has lots of friends. However, a couple of years ago Chérie’s world was turned upside down when her mother passed away.
“My life before my mother’s passing was going just the way I had wanted it to. My mother and I were extremely close. She was my best friend and my role model in so many ways. When I lost her, I definitely lost a part of me too.”
Chérie went on to become the sole carer to her then 11-year-old brother. Despite the shock and grief, she realised she needed to make a change for them both and approached The Prince’s Trust to help build her confidence and employability skills.
Chérie joined the Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 12-week Team programme in Eccles, where she worked on a community project, and built employability skills and a CV.
“The Team programme literally changed my life and I met new friends, became more organised and gained leadership skills. I didn’t feel like I completed Team as the same person. I then took part in The Trust’s Get into Healthcare programme to continue my learning and gain further work experience.”
Due to her determination and progress she was chosen to represent the charity as a Young Ambassador, and has since donated more than 160 hours of her spare time to speak about her story and the impact of The Prince’s Trust.
“The confidence that the Young Ambassador role has given me has helped me in so many ways. I’ve even had the opportunity to go down to 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace! It means a lot that I can raise awareness for The Trust, so that more young people can receive the support they need.”
Chérie recently secured a role as development trainee for Manchester International Festival and would like to continue her career in the development or fundraising sector, alongside exploring further opportunities related to public speaking.
She aspires to help a lot of young people like herself within her local community and return to higher education in the near future.
