The interview

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Interview between Sabiha Saleem and Kim Streets

Sabiha Saleem grew up in Wazir Abad. When they were in their early 20s, she and her husband left Pakistan and moved to Britain. Mr Saleem trained as a GP and together they moved around the country, before they eventually settled in Sheffield in the 1970s.

Mrs Saleem is a familiar face at Firshill Infant School, where she works as a support teacher. "I started working 14 years ago - my children were growing up and I became very depressed at home and my friend told me to go and work in schools as a volunteer. I went to SUMES and they trained me for 3 months. At that time we were 8 ladies, all housewives and they trained us to go and work in the schools. I enjoyed it, I never worked before you know, I was just a housewife, but because of the skill I had with languages, my friend and the teachers told me to apply for a proper job". Today Mrs Saleem lives in High Green, she has two grown-up children, both married. She says, "I like Burngreave very much, when I moved into Sheffield we were living nearby and my husband's practice is on Burngreave Road. We know the Pakistani community, we know a lot of people here - we have lots of friends and I know them well - that’s why I like this place very much".

What is your idea of happiness?
I think if somebody has an ambition and she achieves something in it, that is the greatest happiness. I learned a lot since I have been working in this school - I have nice friends and I have learnt from them and the community.

What is your greatest fear?
The most frightening thing for me is for a friend to misunderstand me and be hurt by me - it scares me a lot you know.

What do you dislike about yourself?
I dislike myself when I worry about things. I am always cursing myself. If I say something very straightforward and I hurt somebody’s feelings, you know. I don't like this about myself.

What do you dislike about others?
If they are not honest with me. I do not like for somebody to be dishonest - I like somebody to be frank and honest.

What makes you sad?
When I see people suffering - ill people, people treating their children wrong. People, who have famine in their country, and are dying of hunger - that makes me very sad.

How did you vote in the last election?
Tony Blair.

How will you vote in the next election?
I will see who is the best leader.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family. All my relatives are in Pakistan. I don't have anybody else, only my own family, and they are very precious for me.

What do you consider the most important virtue?
To be fulfilled and honest in my duty

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Inshallah", which means "God Willing" in Arabic. Before I do something I have to say "Inshallah" - By God's Will. I say it all the time. As a Muslim I have to say it because I can't do anything without his will. I like to say it.

What is your greatest regret??
Not having a big family - wanted to have a big family, but I couldn't.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family. All my relatives are in Pakistan. I don't have anybody else, only my own family, and they are very precious for me.

How do you relax?
Reading different Islamic books and, like you have the Bible, we have the Qur'an. So many things in the Qur'an are exactly like the Bible, and I like to read that and relax. I do read novels, I like to read Life, and Time magazine, Reader's Digest and things like this.

What gives you most pleasure?
To please my friends. To be helpful to people who are in need. In our country there are a lot of people who need help and I love to go and help them - that gives me a lot of pleasure. And I teach these children, and when they achieve something it gives me the greatest pleasure.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
eace of mind. To be healthy and happy - I am happy, but there are ups and downs in life like illness. I had a very bad illness 7 years ago so, if I am healthy, I am happy.

If you could change one thing about Burngreave, what would it be?
To be a safe place to live- I want everybody to live in harmony. It is improving a lot - but it is not the same as it used to be. It used to be a peaceful place to live, but I don't know, I hear a lot about it now. I loved to live here; I dropped my keys on the path and the milkman put them safe; you could leave the children's toys in the garden, but it has changed. The whole country has changed.

What keeps you awake at night?
If somebody is not speaking to me - that keeps me awake.

How would you like to die?
As a good Muslim

How would you like to be remembered?
As a good friend, I would like that people could say truthfully "she had good qualities".

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To be honest. To achieve something one should work hard and be honest in work.