Breakfast at No.10 Downing Street

The moment I board the train to London was the moment my fairytale began. I really couldn’t believe just what I was about to experience and how lucky I was to have that opportunity that I actually had to pinch myself a few times to make sure I was still in my own skin.
 
I got to a hotel, checked in and went up to my room. I was feeling very excited; I even found it hard to sleep at night. I woke up at 3am thinking it was early morning, and from then on I could not get any sleep.
Finally there was daylight, the awaited day had arrived. I got ready and headed to the station where I got a tube to Westminster.

The walk from the gates to the famous door was the longest walk I have ever been on in my life. It seemed like a million years before I finally got to Number 10 and when I did get there, I still couldn’t believe it was me at the Prime Minister`s house. I mean I was at Number 10 Downing Street.

As it was International Day, the Prime Minister had called myself, Women and Equalities Minister Harriet Harman, Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary Peter Mandleson, and Trade Minister Lord Davies and other leading female executives to mark this day with a breakfast meeting to have a discussion on how businesses could be encouraged to have more women on their boardrooms.

I had never stepped into an exquisite house like no.10. When I got in I felt as if I was in another world. There were lots of historic pictures in the room, a matriculate red carpet with Chinese patterns but what captured my eye was the historic picture which was hanging on the wall. It was so enticing that I didn’t even notice the escort by my side that was going to accompany me to the breakfast area. 

When I got into the main reception where the breakfast was taking place, I felt out place. I didn’t feel as if I deserved to be there and didn’t think I fitted in, at all. I felt my self-esteem suddenly drop. I was surrounded by high class women, women who had made it big in the business industry, women with strong visions. Despite me not knowing most of them I could still sense that these were the kind of women you would aspire to and who were impressive role models, which I later got confirmed when I Googled one of them; Miss Foluke Akinlose.
However they were all very friendly and spoke to me as if I was one of them, they probably thought I had a business of my own but little did they know I was just an underprivileged girl from Leicester.

There was Greek yoghurt with berries, tiny slices of toast with scrambled eggs and bacon on top and fruit kebabs. It was all healthy food and there was also a wide choice of beverages being served for breakfast.
I must confess when I heard that I will be having breakfast with the Prime Minister I thought it was going to be a full English breakfast with all the trimmings, but, I guess I was a little bit over ambitious. 

As I was just making myself feel more comfortable and re-gathering my confidence, the Prime Minister joined the meeting. I felt vey honoured when I saw him heading towards me coming to greet me because I thought he had recognised me from the past two encounters we had had, only to realise he was personally welcoming everyone around the table.

After the meeting I was taken to the Business, Innovation and Skills government offices where I joined Lord Young of Norwood Green for two meetings. After the meetings I then headed to the Houses of Parliament where I was taken on a special tour by the Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform Ian Lucas.
I then had lunch with a representative from the ministerial team and made my way back to the House of Lords where I and many other MP`s were to witness Lord Davies and other ministers answer Government questions.

As soon as the session ended Lord Davies and I went back to the government offices where we had another important business meeting. I was kept very busy during the day and it made me realise just how demanding politician’s lives were.
Seeing all these politicians getting on with their work made me be a bit more keen on politics and want to get involved more.

I had a very good time and would urge all young people to be involved with the Youth of Today because that’s how I got to be invited to have this magnificent day. It was also great watching the House of Lords video live at home later that night on the Parliamentary channel. I also watched a short clip of the day on the no.10 website; however I was a little bit disappointed as you could only see my head.

I would describe my experience as a deep sleep despite it actually happening. I only came back to reality after I got home heard my dad’s voice shouting for me too cook “sadza” and vegetables with peanut butter for dinner and that’s when I realised just how fortunate and privileged I was to have experienced the other side of life. 
 

Belinda Fumai - The Youth of Today Intern at NYA