Three young women, working in different capacities, to upskill more women to become financially independent. Three learners and collaborators meeting in person for the first time at aikyam space. CDF Stem Femme fellows Fathima Hiba and Sharon C were joined by their program manager, Shana Shihab, for the Tools for Storytelling Residency, facilitated by aikyam fellows. “When I think about aikyam space, the first thing that comes to mind is the ambience,” says Hiba, who works as a community organiser with iLab. “I loved how calm, quiet and freeing the space is. The moment I walked in the door, I felt so much at peace.”
Sharon, an architect and urban planner working with Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd, echoes this sentiment. “The most remarkable aspect is the spatial arrangement, which fosters a welcoming atmosphere with ample light and ventilation. The open kitchen enhances the overall experience, while the warmth and hospitality of the people make the space even more inviting,” she says. Another impactful aspect for her was the emphasis on fostering community. “This experience has provided valuable insights that I can incorporate into my future endeavours, encouraging a more collaborative and inclusive approach in both personal and professional aspects of life,” she adds.
CDF STEM Femme fellows and the aikyam space team during the residency
This approach that balanced both the personal and the professional was something that appealed to the three women, two of whom are young mothers as well. “We had an interesting conversation with Sumi about finding balance, setting boundaries and the challenges of the glorified ‘working mums’ narrative—something beyond the scope of the workshop, but was relatable to our group,” writes Shana, about her experience of being at aikyam space.
Learning a new tool in a safe space was another highlight of the experience. “The most impactful part of the residency was the website design session, which demonstrated how easily we could create a website,” says Sharon. For Hiba, it was also the atmosphere that fostered learning. “It was the warm vibe of the people there… be it Sumi or Megha,” she says. “Just the fact that they made it clear not to address them as ma’am made the conversations so much easier. This helped me open up to them. I felt like I could share my challenges and stories with them. And I could easily learn what I had considered would be a difficult technical task: website creation.”
The other impactful thing for Hiba was something she learned during a conversation with Shemeer. “He spoke about learning about stakeholder challenges by speaking with stakeholders directly,” says Hiba. “This thought inspired me to change the way I work with my cohort, by first considering my participants' opinions and needs.”
