By Chantelle Tindall
Tazlima Ahmad is one charming and boisterous personality who is hard to ignore when you come across her in a crowded room. Having met her at different events, I was invited to visit the Old Mill which is the epicenter of her operation. It was not a disappointment. The best kept secrets makes very little noise and it is truly a treasure trove as it is all that and more. Filled with curiosities, vintage fashion, African fashion, fabrics from all over the world, arts and on-going projects in hand, the Mill is all my heavens come at once, for one who loves all things fashion and vintage.
Creative Design and Manufacturing (C.D.M.) is a charity organisation where teaching or imparting knowledge and values to their students is the mainstay. It became a charity because her husband advised that teaching was a charitable thing to do. However, before the dream morphed into the charity organisation it now is, one of her lecturers at the Manchester Metropolitan University where she undertook a Master’s course, told her to set up a design centre as she showed great entrepreneurial skills. This according to her was true as since childhood, she always devised ideas to make money. Tazlima studied Textile and Fashion with an option in Art Therapy, and after taking her husband's advice, CDM was born.
CDM was set up for women suffering from mental health illnesses, sexual abuse, depression and from deprived homes. The charity also aims to re-educate people how to eat. "Less is more" she states. Going organic is what she endorses, believing that you can heal yourself with the food you choose to eat. She encourages everyone to be conscious of their environment and firmly believes in zero waste and for this reason, there is no dust bin at the Mill. Instead, she strongly advocates recycling.
Tazlima disclosed that the charity gets referrals from General Practitioners (GPs), Creative Support Groups, word of mouth, Pool Art (Mental Health Group) and other community groups.
Some of the achievements break barriers by putting 15 girls back into education with some completing their A Levels. CDM works with young girls and their parents because it is like walking into the unknown. The need for them to be informed is paramount and this often yields positive results. The age groups that attend classes start from 3 to 87 years old so it is truly wide-ranging. They all learn different skills and some have gone on to become self-employed. Tazlima is very keen to make a change and she believes the BME community needs to be re-educated. Asking "how can you make a change if you do not get out?" She believes the community needs to be more open to changes as this leads to development and improvement.
1 of 15
2 of 15
3 of 15
4 of 15
5 of 15
6 of 15
7 of 15
8 of 15
9 of 15
10 of 15
11 of 15
12 of 15
13 of 15
14 of 15
15 of 15
At the last Black History Month 2018, CDM held an open house event by celebrating and showcasing different African fashion and crafts. It was very evident diversity and inclusion is at the heart of the charity. In attendance were notable members of the society, one of which was Councillor Tina Hewitson of the Arwick Ward and representatives of We Stand Together.
Tazlima was also very proud to disclose that the training programme is led by all the women themselves. They are the voices behind how it is run as they make decisions about what they want to learn so it is not something forced upon them. Talking about her own experiences, she admits to being quite scared and vulnerable. Suffering heartache from unpleasant circumstances herself helps her deal with each woman and their unique issues. Funding to keep the project going comes from Big Lottery Funding, Pace Project, The Home Office, City Council and also holding workshops on de-radicalisation and Prevent. Tazlima works with her husband Numan whose job is to write funding bids, business consultation and helping in other day to day clerical and managerial affairs of the charity.
She ultimately hopes to take the women on a journey they never would have thought imaginable because they had been looked down upon and never given a chance. Being autistic and dyslexic, she understands how the women feel. Believing that your colour, creed or community should not hinder you from making your dream come true, she actively encourages the women to be unafraid and build their confidence. She also believes that love and diversity will make a positive change. She especially wants everyone who comes to CDM to see it as a safe place for women and children. She is a mother and a great teacher.