“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.
― Mother Teresa

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one”
― Mother Teresa

These two quotes by Mother Teresa have extremely inspired me.

My name is Queen Ekuerhare. I was born in Nigeria in the small town of Lokoja. I went to school in Nigeria, where I graduated with a degree in political science.

In 2004, I relocated to England. I lived in Southwark Estate, a place that was mostly dominated by ethnic minorities. The harsh realities I experienced while living in the estate led to the birth of my passion project, Flashy Wings Ministry.

I had witnessed so much suffering due to language barriers, cultural background differences, extreme religious views, domestic violence, etc. It was a circular cycle of disfunction and destruction. Young teenagers in the estate were involved drugs, gangs, school exclusion, and teenage pregnancy. A lot was happening around me. I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to use my talents and caring personality to help my community.

Thus, in 2010, I decided to launch Flashy Wings Ministry, a charity where women can come together to empower, educate, network, inspire, support, and motivate each other.
I struggled for about two years to cultivate a Flashy Wings following within my community. I went around Southwark Estate to encourage women to be part of this project, but no one seems interested. I set up a women’s network forum to brainstorm and share ideas, but not one woman attended the forum. I was left with an empty hall and empty chairs.

Somehow, I continued believing in my vision. I put all my creativity and passion into my work, and I kept pressing on. I was determined to see changes in my community, no matter what it took.

Three years on, things started changing. A few women started coming to our meetings, and the rest is history!

Today, Flashy Wings has over 300 members in Southwark and 20,000 members worldwide. We have supported many women through running activities like workshops, campaigns, clubs, and conferences. We also offer resources such as counselling, recreational therapy, and e-learning. And our success is evident.

We have a track record of relentlessly pursuing need-targeted solutions and providing high-impact projects.

Looking at everything we have achieved at Flashy Wings; I can say am truly grateful and honoured to be recognised for my work and my mentorship of women. It has been a remarkable journey. I don’t need a lot to impact lives; a little spark can lead to flames.