here - Anne Frank Trust UK

Being an
Anne Frank
Ambassador
Uzma Zahid talks to us about how the Anne Frank
Trust changed her life.
How did you learn about Anne Frank?
As a child I knew the name, but I didn’t know anything about
her story.
When I was 13, I was nominated by my teacher, along with three
other kids, to take part in a cross-community project in Bradford run
by the Anne Frank Trust. We saw it as a way to get out of class. But
that’s when I was introduced to the story of Anne Frank.
How did this inspire you?
It wasn’t just a lesson. We were being trained to teach others what we were
learning, so I really needed to listen and understand what was being said. In
a few weeks I was to be one of the guides at the Anne Frank and You Exhibition in
Bradford. This responsibility hit home. We all worked hard, learnt facts, prepared
and subsequently became Anne Frank Ambassadors.
What did it mean to you to be an Ambassador?
I was very proud of the knowledge and expertise I was able to pass on to visitors of the
exhibition. I have continued to be involved with the Anne Frank Trust and last year helped to
pass on the baton to the next generation of Bradford Ambassadors.
What impact has this had?
This opportunity changed my life. I lived a very insular and
segregated life in Bradford where I was part of the majority of
South Asians in my school. It began to feel wrong to be amongst
just one culture. I’ve met so many amazing people through
this, it has encouraged me to look outwardly and embrace new
opportunities. My work as an Ambassador encouraged me to learn
more and led me to study History and Psychology at A’level and
then at University.
Why do you feel it’s important to continue to tell
Anne’s story?
I know that some people don’t understand why a
Muslim is telling the story of a Jew. But to me
Anne Frank was a girl whose terrible story needs
to be told as a lesson to everyone. I want people
to stop focusing on negative stereotypes, the
labels that society has assigned - just focus
on the person.
Holocaust Memorial Day | Annual Lunch | The Anne Frank Trust | 16