MDX alumna offering domestic abuse survivors a rainbow after the storm - Charlene Simba interview

More than 30 women have benefited from MDX graduate Charlene Simba's social enterprise which helps those who have suffered from domestic abuse

MDX Law alumna Charlene Simba, who left school at 16 with one GCSE, is now a successful consultant business analyst in the insurance industry, and founder of an organisation creating social impact.

Charlene’s social enterprise GraceSimba Community Village CIC (GSCV) supports women who have experienced domestic abuse to rebuild their lives through resources including mentoring, educational advice and empowerment experiences sponsored by high end brands, inspiring, uplifting and supporting them on their journey. She set it up following her own experiences of abuse and coercive control at the hands of her ex-partner, in the course of which she “lost all sense of who she was as a person,” as she told Universal Peace Federation’s Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls conference in October.

More than thirty women have benefited from GSVC’s services so far. Charlene has struck sponsorships with brands including Gaucho, Charlotte Tilbury and womenswear label The Fold to deliver the experiences.

One participant who arrived apprehensively at a GSCV event as she didn’t know anyone says: “The moment I was greeted I felt at home, they were kind and their smiles made me feel welcome”. Another says she walked away feeling “stronger, less alone and more positive”.

“By giving women a few hours to truly be themselves and see that they can indeed be happy again, we are providing hope to people who felt they had none. Many of the women who come to us have children and are unable to take any time for themselves. They may feel guilty, or have no self-esteem. Counselling and practical support are essential, but recovery is a holistic thing and by providing empowering services to treat these brave women, we are able to offer a rainbow after the most terrible storm.”

“By giving women a few hours to truly be themselves and see that they can indeed be happy again, we are providing hope to people who felt they had none. Many of the women who come to us have children and are unable to take any time for themselves. They may feel guilty, or have no self-esteem. Counselling and practical support are essential, but recovery is a holistic thing and by providing empowering services to treat these brave women, we are able to offer a rainbow after the most terrible storm.”

Charlene Simba

Charlene had worked mainly in admin roles, including in a mental health hospital, before she decided to study for a degree as a mature student. She reached university via an Access to HE course. She saw her two options as being nursing and Law – many of her family had worked as nurses, but her real interest lay in legal studies. Corporate law in particular was a completely new field for her.

She went to an Open Day at MDX where she was initially interviewed by Prof Laurent Pech, Professor of European Law at MDX until 2022. It was the “first time I had been in an environment where all they saw was the person in front of them,” she says. “At MDX, all they cared was that a person was hard-working, ambitious and trying their best. It taught me to look for an individual’s potential and work with them to reach their goals instead of focusing on their past."

At MDX she spent much of her time in the library – a dedication that led to a First-Class degree and a subject prize. She was one of 50 successful candidates out of more than 2000 applicants for the SEO City Solicitors Horizons Scheme, a three year support programme to broaden access to the legal profession. Her mentor was a partner in a City law firm; she subsequently got work experience at the firm which in turn opened doors through introductions to clients and familiarising her with the work environment of the City before she graduated.

She began her career as a contract manager for one of the big pharmaceutical companies. Within a year she had joined the legal and compliance team, but she thought there was something else she would rather do there. She became a business analyst working with software developers in the planning team, offering a non-tech specialist’s eye as they created a new application.

From there she moved to the insurance sector, working for Lloyd’s London Market. “My legal experience is useful for that,” she says. “I’m really enjoying it, I’m planning to stay."

“I managed to get to where I am in a short space of time because of the amazing academics who supported me at MDX,” Charlene says. “These were individuals who believed in me and saw my potential before I even knew that I had what it took to build a successful career in the corporate world or was able to juggle a full-time position and run a social enterprise.

“[Law lecturer] Lughaidh Kerin and [former Business School lecturer] Joseph Ogbonna were always there when I needed support with applications or when I was doubting myself. They gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and grab opportunities. I learned that rejections did not mean I was a failure, and they taught me to never be afraid to ask for help."

At MDX, “the best thing is there were students from so many different backgrounds,” Charlene says. “People would support you and invest in you, but it was also up to you to put in the work."

With GraceSimba Community Village, Charlene says there’s been no shortage of people wanting to support the initiative, including MPs, which pleasantly defied her expectations. Domestic abuse is a “huge issue, not always openly spoken about,” she says. “I wanted people in senior positions or who have some influence in society to come on board and help with the vision of rebuilding lives. My biggest worry was that they would not want to be a part of a social enterprise that had not been operating for at least a year, and they would not want to put their reputation on the line. I was wrong." Equally she has not had to seek referrals as a stream of women have been signposted to the organisation.

Of her motivations to start GSCV, Charlene says: “Being someone who was quite resourceful after experiencing domestic abuse, I was always one to share information with others. If others have helped me, I’ve wanted to pass that kindness on. I wanted to make this formal. I now have a career and great financial security: I want to give someone else a second chance like I had a second chance."

Find out more about studying Law at Middlesex University.