Aadielah Maker-Diedericks was born and raised in District Six before her family was forcibly removed and relocated to Mitchells Plain. Although having their own bathroom and bedrooms was exciting, the move was also frightening because the family were separated from their neighbours. She had to start at a new school in her final year of primary school. Primary and high school exposed her to girls becoming pregnant. She promised herself that would not be her story. She told herself to delay having children until she understood herself better and had experienced more of life. Maker-Diedericks believes this allows a person to become conscious of the kind of parent they want to be.Her brother lived with a disability and had no access to services, which influenced her decision to study social work. Maker-Diedericks holds a BSocSc degree from the University of Cape Town and a MComm Health from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.Her typical day starts with checking and responding to WhatsApp messages and emails, followed by making a list of what needs to be done before 9am. There are often disruptions and meetings lined up for the day, alongside planning, training and processing project deliverables.She loves being part of a change process, engaging people in determining how they can contribute to change rather than having change done to them. She values creating platforms for people to discuss what they experience and how they would like it to change.She is proud of having been involved in the Soul Buddyz project. The experience humbled her by showing what children can do despite their circumstances. She believes children have agency and that adults need to hear them, while also guiding them and creating space for them to grow into their best selves.Maker-Diedericks says people should be flexible and open to others, find joy in what they do without expecting anything in return and recognise that every life they touch is meaningful. She enjoys gardening, cooking, flea markets, movies and board games with her sons. She cooks once a month for distribution and, with her family, supports a few communities in small ways. She enjoys visiting her 86-year-old aunt and taking her 82-year-old father for drives and ice cream.