Mojatu News Round up

MOJATU NEWS ROUNDUP

Black Achievers Awards 2019.

The 5th edition of The Black Achievers Awards (BAA) was held at the East Midlands Conference Centre on October 5, 2019 with the aim of honouring black people and showcasing positive role models in the community. The BAA was initiated in 2012 by the former Lord Mayor of Nottingham (2013-2014) Merlita Brayan who was then serving as City Councillor for Arboretum Ward before becoming the Sheriff of Nottingham in 2012-2013. The event brought together various individuals and sponsors. The Nottingham Police and Nottinghamshire Police and the Crime Commissioner were among the main sponsors for this event with the objective of building positive relationship between the BME community and the police. The Rising Star award was won by our Joan Gathoni while Abdoulie Jah grabbed the Community Volunteer.

Commonwealth Reception, November 2019

More than 150 Commonwealth citizens attended a reception held at the Council House in Nottingham to celebrate the contribution their countries have made to the county’s heritage, success and prosperity. The reception which was hosted by the Lord-Lieutenant, Sir John Peace, marked the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Commonwealth whose roots go back to the days of the British Empire. Historically, the city and county have long-standing relationships with Commonwealth countries through trade and education, more recently welcoming those who have chosen to live here making it their permanent home. Many of the citizens from Commonwealth countries settled in Nottingham in the late 1940s onwards becoming stalwart members of the community, helping to rebuild Britain after the ravages of the second world war and supporting the then newly established National Health Service.

Black History Month Celebration

As part of events marking the celebration of Black History Month, the Hyson Green Youth Centre played host to another organiser of activities commemorating the occasion. The organiser Abdoulie Jah who is a common figure in the Hyson Green area, told Mojatu Magazine that in other to compliment this year’s theme; "Black Migrations”, the need to create a link between Blacks in the diaspora and blacks at home in Africa should be the an area of focus which will eventually serve as a springboard to unity. He highlighted the need to exhibiting typical village lifestyle of Africans as a platform where Black culture, tradition and heritage could be showcased meaningfully and thereby making it easy to the journey of root tracing. Other activities marking the month-long celebration was question and answer session with a panel of guests comprising former football professionals, coaches and administrators at the Queens Walk Community Centre in the Meadows. The Notts F.A in collaboration with and Inspire to Succeed CIC held the session to assess the factors for the difficulties and problems black people face in their quest for sports glory. A cross section of the public attended the programme where black athletes like Calvin Plummer, Ian Benjamin, Norris Stewart and Karl White among others took the stage during the discussions. There was also an exhibition of Black British players at the ceremony.

FGM

The Mojatu Foundation has been conducting training on community education in areas affecting our societies and communities. One key area has been running a campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) which started since 2014 after reports of over 200 cases in Nottingham. Since it is a very difficult matter, a positive approach on how to talk about it in a dignified way was very challenging but paramount. It was very difficult involving survivors and bringing in men in the conversation because they have a part to play in helping victims defeat the trauma attached to FGM. FGM is a very personal subject to discuss while in some cultures, talking about it openly is taboo. Engaging influential people and survivors within our communities as well as faith and community leaders has been the benchmark for the success registered. More than 80 community members have been involved in the campaign (men, women, young and old). As an activist and campaigner Valentine Nkoyo have been involved in national and international conversations and campaigns around FGM as over 135,000 girls and women in the UK have been affected and over 200 million globally. Even though it has been declared illegal in the UK since 1985, in Nottingham alone, between 2016 and 2017 about 85 known cases were reported while the unreported remain unknown. Most cases happen between the ages of 5 and 13 – these are children who do not understand what

is happening to them and the kind of pain they go through until they are much older. The best way to change behaviours and attitudes towards FGM is through the involvement of children at an early age and the need to get people participate in dialogues regarding such practice. How can we challenge FGM confidently and sensitively without stigmatising affected communities? •

The need to have a professional curiosity and increase training/awareness for frontline professionals

Using influence of people with status and influence in our communities

Involvement of survivors so that they can share their stories and experiences and take part in finding solution

The use of social media and to incorporate FGM questions in social workers and health visitors’ assessments.

There is a need for more awareness raising in new and emerging communities as people moving to new countries are more likely to carry on traditions to retain identity. FGM is not an African problem only and it still takes place in the UK, but it stays hidden. Through the Ambassadors of Change we were able to bring together a group of Imams and Pastors as role models in their respective communities. This crosscultural discussion allowed different communities to discuss FGM during our training sessions and what they understood about the practice. Coming away from the training, the community leaders felt empowered to act as agents of change and ensure that their respective communities were not only aware of the problems with FGM but had practical and sensitive ways to deal with the issue.

A group of young people also underwent their own training sessions where specific issues affecting young people, particularly those from BME and new and emerging communities were discussed. We continue to run FGM training sessions throughout the year and expanding our incredible team of ambassadors. If you are interested in joining us, or having a training session, please email edith@mojatu. com to find out more.

Farmeco Community Care Farm Legacy Trees.

Over 20 participants derived from FGM survivors, advocates, doctors and health providers were held a legacy tree exercise in honour of FGM survivors and their promise to end FGM by 2030. The event was held at Farmeco in partnership with Mojatu with the objective of raising awareness against the practice of FGM within our communities in the UK and beyond. Many participants and ambassadors fighting for the FGM community erected plaques close by where the legacy tree was planted. Prayers were said at the meeting in respect of those who have lost their life to this practice, and for those who have endured it and those who liberate against it.

Community Perceptions of Stop & Search

In a drive to break barriers and build a trustworthy relationship between Nottinghamshire Police and BAME communities for effective policing, a major transformation has been ongoing in recent years to promote fair and intelligence driven Stop & Search without fears of discrimination and unwarranted profiling. To provide a clearer picture of community perceptions towards police Stop & Search procedure, and hopefully inform policy change regarding Stop & Search, INSPIRED-SUCCEED & Fearless Youth Association carried out a collaborative research into BAME community perceptions of Stop & Search culture in Nottinghamshire with data collected on basis of people's experiences and public perceptions. 45% of respondents have been stopped & searched a total of 2-5 times, whilst 3% of respondents have been stopped and search between 15-20 times. 50% of respondents reported that police explanations of why they were carrying out stop & search were unclear while 70% reported being initially stopped & searched on suspicion of carrying a dangerous weapon. On the respondents who have been stopped and searched, 25% felt targeted, 25% felt angry and 13% felt disrespected. 83% of the respondents reported feeling discriminated against by Nottinghamshire Police.

54% of respondents felt that when they were being searched, police procedures were either partially or completely unprofessional. On the other hand, 8% of all respondents reported feeling informed about their rights; should they be stopped and searched by the police. 72% of total respondents said that even if they were fully informed about their rights, they would not feel comfortable enough to alert officers or make a future complaint through fear of escalating the severity of their situation.

About 47% of respondents reported that they felt discriminated against by police based on their race and ethnicity. 97% of respondents have been stopped & searched when they were not committing any criminal offence, even though Police and Community Officers used reasonable grounds to suspect criminal activity to sanction Stop & Search; and 57% of the respondents felt they were stopped and searched at random.

Smile to the Summit…Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

A Leeds born Stockholm based adventurerphilanthropist Lee Neary embarked on his three-decade old dream of climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m), Tanzania. Lee (34) who is accompanied by his girlfriend Åsa Svensson (33), started the adventurous journey in December 2019 with the objective of raising funds and awareness for education projects in SubSaharan countries and community development for minorities through Smile Mission. Smile Mission is a Swedish-Ugandan based non-profit organization looking to make a progressive impact on disenfranchised communities around sub-Saharan Africa.

Commenting on the adventurous challenge of a lifetime, the couple told Mojatu Magazine, “we’re pretty nervous but excited; and under no illusion that this will be a walk in the park, so to speak. Neither of us have tried summiting a volcano before”. In 2018, (July 22nd – August 6TH) Lee completed a 322km hike along the famous Camino de Frances. Stepping off the train in Léon (Spain), Lee embarked on a two-week adventure starting from Leon (Spain) through record breaking temperatures, across mountains, valleys and plains – following the sun west all the way to Santiago de Compostela, the capital of northwest Spain’s Galicia region. The Smile Mission representative and volunteer Lee was able to raise some money for Mojatu Foundation and a school in Uganda.

Festivals

The Hyson Green Cultural Festival was held at Forest Fields in Hyson Green. This year’s festival was the 5th edition and brought together people from different walks of life.

There were different performers on stage, various stalls, sports and fun activities for the children and a health corner which offered free advice, guidance and testing in different areas including HIV, Diabetes and Mental Health. Children enjoyed the bouncy castles and had colouring workshops and crafts, face painting and graffiti while adults enjoyed live music and cultural performances. An African Farm festival was also held in the summer. Attendants from different areas of Nottingham converged at the FAMECO farm where different activities were organised ranging from live music, a walk in the farm, food and African jewellery and artifacts exhibition, goat racing, to other forms of fanfare.

An Inter-faith football tournament was also held in the summer with the view to fostering inter-faith relations within the community through sports. The event brought together participants and attendants from the Muslim and Christian communities in the city. The initiative was laudable and well appreciated by attendants, collaborators and sponsors.

Mojatu Fundraising Gig

On the 8th of March on International Women’s day, Valentine Nkoyo, Mandy Pride and Beth Hanna in association with Cultural Vibrations organised a fundraising gig at the Maze, all the money raised during the showcase went to aid girls in the Maasai communities in Kenya, where the presence of practices like child marriage and FGM are prominent. The funds also aided girls to have access to education, which was vital in empowering female voices in rural communities.

Women Sports

In 2019, in order to help women to feel healthier and confident, Mojatu ran weekly women only sport sessions which attracted a growing number of attendants each week.

We are looking forward to continuing this activity and use it as a medium to support and raise more awareness on issues pertaining to FGM through survivors, women empowerment and a healthy living Our organizations aim is not only to end FGM, but also we try to support those survivors.