Jah-Shantaye, Children With Voices, 21st September 2020

Jah-Shantaye is 15 years old and lives with her mother and two older brothers on the Frampton Park Estate in Hackney, London, 21st September, 2020. Since she was five she has been involved with local charity Children With Voices, more recently teaching younger children about nutrition, and distributing food to vulnerable families across the borough. Throughout the pandemic her work at the food hub has continued alongside her mother, Carletta, who suffers from severe anxiety after three road accidents in one year. She describes Jah-Shantaye as “my little backup, my rock”. Due to her mother’s poor memory and her brother's health and learning difficulties, the youngest of the family has had to take on a lot of responsibility. In 2016 she was awarded a Jack Petchey Achievement Award for her work in the community.

Part of a project by Grey Hutton documenting the founders, volunteers and users of a range of local charities and community organisations in the borough of Hackney during the Covid-19 pandemic.