Mojatu Nottingham Magazine M027

Nottingham connected

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Late High Chief Bernerd Okenwa Life Celebrated 1945 - 2017

Heartburn: Causes & Relief Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Is she worthy of the prize?

2018 Celebrations International Women’s Day City of Zero-tolerance 1st Anniversary - P4-5 National Stakeholder Engagement - P5-7

Female Genital Mutilation

FGM – FACTS, HELP & ACTIONS Facts x FGM is any procedure that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. x FGM has been illegal in England and Wales since 1985. x FGM is a form of child abuse and violence against women and girls. x x FGM is Non-Islamic, against the teachings of Islam and brings Islam into disrepute. x FGM is putting the health of our daughters, sisters, mothers and wives at great risk. x x Over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM. x 10,000 girls aged under 15 who have migrated to England and Wales are likely to have undergone FGM. x In Nottingham, about 85 new cases were recorded through NHS in 2016/17.

Help Are you concerned a girl or woman is at risk or need support?

x Join the Community FGM Steering Group: Contact us

x For emotional & peer support for survivors in Nottingham, join the FGM Survivor’s club: Contact us x Refer survivors needing medical attention to FGM medical specialist in Nottingham: Contact us x Drop in sessions at at Mojatu Offices 167 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, NG7 3JR: Contact ct us x Call 0808 028 350 for a 24/7 anonymous FGM helpline or email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.ukk x Call Nottingham City Council Children and Families Direct: 0115 876 4800 x Ring the police on 999 if FGM has just happened or about to happen

Actions To help end FGM and support survivors, join one of our campaigns or projects x FGM Survivors Club x Volunteer with us x FGM Steering Group

x ‘Adopt a tree’ project

x FGM Champions of Change

x Donate to support our work

x Request for training

x Fundraise to support our work

For more information, contact Mojatu Foundation Phone: 01158457009 Mobile: 07794372214 Email: valentine@mojatu.com Website: www.mojatufoundation.org @mojatu.foundation @ mojatuf @mojatu_foundation

Editor’s Welcome Hello and welcome to the latest issue of Nottingham Mojatu Magazine, M027.

This bumper issue covers Celebration of life of High Chief Bernard Okenwa 1945 – 2017 (p24-25). We are also celebrating Nottingham’s 1st anniversary of Zero Tolerance to FGM (p4-5) and a national stakeholders engagement event with the University of Nottingham (p8-10). We discuss about the arising issues of Modern Day Slavery with the launch of the Survivor Alliance (p11).

We celebrate the International Women’s Day stories and photos (p12-14) and the great work of Farmeco community care farm and GAIN Diaspora activities in tree planting and community research (p15-17). This includes issues on female genital mutilation (FGM) and ways in which you can participate in the mental health and wellbeing of our communities.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberian has been awarded the Mo Ibrahim prize and we ask, “Is she worth of the prize (p20-21). With our media and journalism work, Anthony Wafula and Mendi Njonjo asks, is it time to rethink philanthropy journalism in East Africa (p22-23)?

Your usual dish of food and health article is also served (p34-35) by exploring the burning questions of heartburn, with the 11 foods that can cause heartburn, and a discussion on 30 foods that will make your life super healthy (p36-38). The Maasai Cricket Warriors are coming to Nottingham. Don’t miss meeting them (p47-48).

There are lots more fun and informative contents and we not only believe that you will enjoy the magazine but you will also be able to give us feedback on your views and how best we can serve you better. Happy Reading!

Valentine Nkoyo Managing Editor: Mojatu magazines Email: valentine@mojatu.com

Contents News & Sports FGM 1st Anniversary -0-Tolerance .................... 4-5 Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It. ..................... 8-9 Modern Slavery Survivor Alliance Launched ..11 International Women’s Day ............................. 12-14 Research on African Communities ......................15 Taking the city to the farm .............................. 16-17 Community Is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Worthy Mo Prize ... 20-21 Journalism in East Africa .........................................22 Nigerian Chief .............................................................24 Faith & Spirituality Tragedy of Maternal Mortality ....................... 26-27 Making Nottingham Communities Better........28 You wood, wouldn’t you .........................................29 Arts & Culture Zanele Muholi: Hail The Dark Lioness ................30 Health & Food 11 Foods that cause Heartburn ..................... 34-35 30 Super Healthy Foods ................................... 36-38 Education Education Opportunities For Asylum Seekers ..43 Fearless Youth Association & Basement Studio . 44 Maasai Cricket Warriors in Nottingham...... 47-48

Cover

Late High Chief Bernerd Okenwa

Mojatu Foundation Disclaimer The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot take responsibility for errors, omissions, nor can we accept responsibility for the advertisements or editorial contributions.

Editorial Group Editor: Frank Kamau – frank@mojatu.com Managing Editor: valentine@mojatu.com Graphic Design: Robert Borbely Contributors: Angela Gorman | Ashleigh Boadi | Angela Wathoni | Edwin Ubah | Edwin Ubah | Anthony Wafula | Mendi Njonjo | Simon Allison | Carol Young | Valentine Nkoyo | Clive Foster | Edith Lucky-Uweh | Cecily Mwaniki | Ryan Raman | Esther Muthoni | Alice Davies | Wiston Lindsay | Matt Voitgz | IT / Social Media: Daniel Ibinimion Accounts: John Gordon - accounts@mojatu.com Admin: Penny Cooper - penny@mojatu.com Sales & Marketing / Community Engagement: Abdoulie Jah - jah@mojatu.com

Kevin Price - kevin.price@mojatu.com Edwin Ubah - eddy@mojatu.com News & Comments: news@mojatu.com Getting the magazine Online @ www.mojatu.com/magazines Subscription @ £24 per year including postage Address: Mojatu Foundation 167 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, NG7 3JR T: 0115 8457 009 | 0751 6962 992 | 0779 4372 214 Facebook: www.facebook.com/mojatu Twitter: www.twitter.com/mojatumedia Printers: Mojatu Publications

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NOTTINGHAM’S 1ST FGM ZERO TOLERANCE ANNIVERSARY Mojatu Foundation has led the celebration of the first anniversary since Nottingham City became the first City of Zero-tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the UK. The event held on Tuesday 6 February at Farmeco Community Care Farm, Screveton was marked with a tree planting ceremony that brought over 40 strategic partners from as far as Wales and Scotland.

The celebration also marked the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, celebrated on 6th February every year. Attendees included political, community and faith leaders, charities, policy makers, funders, local authorities and other organisations tackling FGM, individuals and well-wishers. The ceremony included adoption of trees and installation of plaques, with personalised messages, as a gesture of supporting the end FGM campaign. Messages on tree plaques to support the campaign included memory of a loved one, a family, on behalf of an organisation, group, church, mosque etc.

Not even the bad weather nor the muddy fields stopped the attendees from getting their hands cold and dirty in the symbolic ceremony that saw all of them put the roots of over 40 fruit trees into the earth linking social justice to the environment. Thousands of people and future generations will enjoy the fruits of their labour and their messages will remain as a legacy of their contribution to social justice and the fight for gender equality! Many of those who planted trees vowed to bring their family members, colleagues or friends to visit their tree in solidarity to the End FGM Movement thus engaging more people in the campaign.

Through the Mojatu Foundation’s “End FGM in a Generation” campaign in UK and beyond, Nottingham City took a strong stance and declared Nottingham a “Zero-tolerance to FGM City,” the first city in the UK to do so. Survivors and Nottingham FGM Community Steering Group, run by Mojatu, spearheaded this declaration through working with local councillors and other partners. This remarkable achievement for

Nottingham connected Nottingham city and the great stride and achievements in the last 12 months was celebrated at the event.

Valentine Nkoyo, the CEO of Mojatu Foundation and chair of the Nottingham Community FGM Steering Group said: “Our campaign has come a very long way thanks to the commitment and hardwork of survivors, community members, our strategic partners, funders and supporters who have continued to keep this subject on the agenda. We are working closely with the City and County Steering Group and other partners to ensure the Zero Tolerance pledge is implemented in our city. We are very pleased that work we started in Nottingham has been recognised nationally and internationally including through the United Nations and Women Federation for World Peace International” Mojatu Foundation adopted innovative approaches and partnerships in tackling FGM led to a strong partnership with a local farmer, David Rose of Farmeco Community Care Farm who joined us in tackling FGM, facilitating community cohesion and better linkage between the city and the countryside

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dwellers. David said: “I am very proud of the work the Mojatu Foundation does to support FGM affected communities and engagement of the wider society in farm and environmental work. I am glad to see partnerships and networks that have been developed through our partnership including linking social issues with agriculture and the environment, especially in the edible woodland project.”

Cllr Jackie Morris, former Lord Mayor of Nottingham who moved the FGM motion said: “FGM is something that many people think shouldn’t be talked about but that’s partly what makes the practice continue. That’s why I helped to move the motion, to make it known that Nottingham is a Zero-tolerance City to FGM.” If you would like to support our work by adopting a tree and including a personalised message, please complete this short form https://goo.gl/vopMLL. See a feature at https://goo.gl/ZDNN9M The second part of the celebration was held on 28th February at the Muslim Hands at a conference that was co-organised with Nottingham Muslim Women’s Network, Mojatu Foundation, and the Community Cohesion Team of the City Council.

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UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM & MOJATU FOUNDATION HOSTS THE NATIONAL FGM STAKEHOLDERS EVENT - By Valentine Nkoyo On the 6th of March, over 50 people representing different organisations across the UK attended the National Stakeholder Engagement Event: FGM Systematic Review Project in Nottingham.

This event shared the findings from a project on healthcare experiences related to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), funded by the UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) through a joint bid and partnership between Mojatu Foundation and a team of health researchers from the University of Nottingham and other experts. The project has involved conducting two systematic reviews of research evidence in order to understand the experiences, needs, barriers and facilitators around seeking and providing FGM-related healthcare in OECD (high income) countries from the perspectives of women and girls who have undergone FGM/C and also health professionals.

The two reviews focused on qualitative research evidence.

The team that undertook the research included Dr. Catrin Evans, Valentine Nkoyo, Juliet Albert, Dr Rita Twaheyo, Dr. Julie McGarry, and Professor Gina Awoko Higginbottom.

Dr Catrin Evans, the lead researcher said “We are very pleased we were able to work with Mojatu Foundation

because the voice of the community and their expertise is very important in research areas like this one”. She also thanked the team involved in the research and said “it is fantastic to be presenting our findings today in a brief summary but a lot of work has gone into this work thanks to the collective efforts of all those who were involved”. The reviews provided a unique, state of the art summary of findings from almost 90 research studies, with over one third of these from the UK. This event was attended by FGM survivors, activists, members of communities affected by FGM, policy makers, researchers, students, health professionals, education professionals, commissioners, policy makers and other interested parties.

Attendees came from as far as Cardiff, London, Reading and other parts of the country.

Valentine Nkoyo, CEO Mojatu Foundation said “I am so pleased today to see many partners, fellow activists and campaigners we have worked together on the FGM campaign. The findings today reveal how much work we still need to do and how important it is to work with survivors.

Experiences of FGM survivors vary and listening to their voices and acting on issues they raise is key if we want to end FGM in a generation. They have the power to do that” Part of the event included round table discussions where participants were asked to share their views on the implications of the findings. Dr Rita Tweheyo said “we hope the project findings will help to inform your own areas of work. Conversely, we would greatly value your comments and feedback in order to identify key implications for practice, service development, policy and future research”.

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Among the organisations and groups who attended included, The Girl Generation, FORWARD UK, The World Society of Criminology, Nottingham Community FGM Steering Group, Utulivu Women Group, The Dhalia Project, The National FGM Centre, Nottingham City and County FGM Steering Group, Nottingham FGM Clinic, NHS among others.

A full report is being compiled and will be made public following the event and will be published in the Mojatu Magazines too. There were gaps in research areas that were identified following the round table discussions and will be included in the report. You can access the first published publication on https:// goo.gl/dDwJER

MENTAL HEALTH - TIME TO CHANGE On the 27th ŽĨ &ĞďƌƵĂƌLJ ϮϬϭϴ͕ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŶĂŵĞĚ ĂƐ Ă dŝŵĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶŐĞ ŚƵď ĂŌĞƌ ŝƚ ĂĚŽƉƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƐĐŚĞŵĞ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƟŐŵĂ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ŽƉĞŶ ƵƉ ĂďŽƵƚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ͘ /ƚ ŚĂƐ ŶŽǁ ďĞĐŽŵĞ ϭ ŽĨ ϱ h< ĐŝƟĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚŝƐ ƟƚůĞ͘ dŝŵĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶŐĞ ŚƵďƐ ĂƌĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ƚŽ ƚĂĐŬůĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƟŐŵĂ ƐƵƌƌŽƵŶĚŝŶŐ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ͘ dŚĞ ŚƵďƐ ǁŝůů ďƌŝŶŐ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁŚŽ ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞůLJ ĐŚĂŶŐĞ ƚŚĞ ƐƟŐŵĂ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ŽŶ ůŽĐĂů ŝƐƐƵĞƐ͘ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ŽŶŐŽŝŶŐ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĞŶĐŽŵƉĂƐƐĞƐ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ĂƐ Ă ƌĞŐŝŽŶĂů ŚƵď͕ ŝƐ ĂŶ ϭϴͲŵŽŶƚŚ ƉůĂŶ ƚŽ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚ Ă ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬ ŽĨ ŚƵďƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶĐĞŶƚƌĂƚĞ ŽŶ ůŽĐĂů ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶ ǁŽƌŬ͘ dŚĞ dŝŵĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶŐĞ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ,Ƶď ǁŝůů ďĞ ůĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ,ĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ tĞůůďĞŝŶŐ ŽĂƌĚ ǁŝƚŚ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ŝƚLJ ŽƵŶĐŝů ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ŚŽƐƚ ĂŶĚ ^ĞůĨ ,ĞůƉ h< ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ,Ƶď͘ dŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ǁŝůů ďĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ůŝǀĞĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ ŚĞůƉ ĐŚĂŶŐĞ ĚŝƐĐƌŝŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ͘ ĚĚŝƟŽŶĂů ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ ŽĨ DĞŶƚĂů ,ĞĂůƚŚ͕ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ZĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ŽůůĞŐĞ͕ EŽƩƐ ŽƵŶƚLJ͛Ɛ ĐŚĂƌŝƚLJ Ăƌŵ &ŽŽƚďĂůů ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͕ ƚŚĞ DŽũĂƚƵ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͕ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ :ŽďƐ ,Ƶď͕ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ & ŽůůĞŐĞ͕ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ &ŽƌĞƐƚ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ dƌƵƐƚ ĂŶĚ &ƌĂŵĞǁŽƌŬ͘ ŽƵŶĐŝůůŽƌ EŝĐŬ DĐ ŽŶĂůĚ ƐƚĂƚĞĚ͕ ͞The announcement is ĨĂŶƚĂƐƟĐ ŶĞǁƐ ĨŽƌ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ĂůƌĞĂĚLJ ƐŽ ŵƵĐŚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ǁŽƌŬ ŐŽŝŶŐ ŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƌĞĚƵĐĞ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĚŝƐĐƌŝŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƟŐŵĂ͕ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ

ƚŽ ŚĂƌŶĞƐƐŝŶŐ dŝŵĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶŐĞ͛Ɛ ĞdžƉĞƌƟƐĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐ ƚŽ ďƌŝŶŐ Ăůů ƚŚĞŝƌ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŵƉĂĐƚ͘͟ ĚĚŝƟŽŶĂůůLJ͕ ^ĂƌĂŚ ŽůůŝƐ͕ K Ăƚ ^ĞůĨ ,ĞůƉ h< ƐĂŝĚ͕ “We ĂƌĞ ĚĞůŝŐŚƚĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ĐŚŽƐĞŶ ƚŽ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ Ă dŝŵĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶŐĞ ,Ƶď͘ ƌŝŶŐŝŶŐ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ƐŚĂƌĞĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ ŝƐ ŽƵƌ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƟĐ ƚŽ ŚĂǀĞ ĂŶ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ Ă ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ĐŚĂŵƉŝŽŶ ďĂƐĞ ƚŽ ƚĂĐŬůĞ ĚŝƐĐƌŝŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƐƟŐŵĂ͟ :Ž >ŽƵŐŚƌĂŶ͕ ƚŚĞ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ Ăƚ dŝŵĞ ƚŽ ŚĂŶŐĞ͕ ĂĚĚĞĚ͕ ͞tĞ ĂƌĞ ƌĞĂůůLJ ƉůĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ Ă ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶ ĨŽƌ ĐŚĂŶŐĞ͕ ƚĂŝůŽƌĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĞĚƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘ LJ ŚĂǀŝŶŐ ŚƵďƐ ŝŶ ƉůĂĐĞ ǁĞ͛ƌĞ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĞ ǁŝĚĞƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ŝƐ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ ƐƚƌŽŶŐ ůŽĐĂů ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞƌƟƐĞ ŝŶ ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĚĞƐƉŝƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƐƚ͕ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌŬ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ĚŽŝŶŐ ůŽĐĂůůLJ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ĐŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐ͟

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Mental Health: Let’s Talk About It. - Byy Cecilyy Mwaniki According to the U.K. surgeon general (1999), mental health is the successful performance of mental ĨƵŶĐƟŽŶ͕ ƌĞƐƵůƟŶŐ ŝŶ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀĞ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͕ ĨƵůĮůůŝŶŐ ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ the ability to adapt to change ĂŶĚ ĐŽƉĞ ǁŝƚŚ ĂĚǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ tŽƌůĚ ,ĞĂůƚŚ KƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ ;t,KͿ͕ ŵĞŶƚĂů ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐ ͞ƐƵďũĞĐƟǀĞ ǁĞůůͲďĞŝŶŐ͕ ƉĞƌĐĞŝǀĞĚ ƐĞůĨͲĞĸĐĂĐLJ͕ ĂƵƚŽŶŽŵLJ͕ ĐŽŵƉĞƚĞŶĐĞ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌͲŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶĂů ĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶĐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ƐĞůĨͲĂĐƚƵĂůŝnjĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŽŶĞ͛Ɛ ŝŶƚĞůůĞĐƚƵĂů ĂŶĚ ĞŵŽƟŽŶĂů ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů͕ ĂŵŽŶŐ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ͘ The WHO further states that the well-being of an individual is encompassed in the realization of their abilities, coping with normal stresses of life, productive work and contribution to their community. However, Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how “mental health” is defined.

The term mental illness refers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders—health conditions characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behaviour associated with distress or impaired functioning. A person struggling with their mental health may experience this because of stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, death of a loved one, suicidal thoughts, grief, addiction, ADHD, various mood disorders, or other mental illnesses of varying degrees, as well as learning disabilities.

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What does this mean to our communities?

A community is a group of people who share something. That something may be religion, culture, government or any combination of the three.

Below are some of the responses given by a group of volunteers in our diverse communities who contribute their advice based on their experience living with or caring for someone with mental health.

1. “Mental Illness Awareness means recognizing that mental illness is as real as any physical illness.”

2. “It means recognizing that mental illness affects not only the individual, but everyone from friends and families to entire communities, no matter how big or small.”

3. “It means educating people on what mental

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illness means, how to prevent it, and to remove the stigma about it.’’

“To be sensitive and knowledgeable about brain diseases. To advocate for mental health by being against stigma and prejudice.”

“Mental illness awareness means bringing down the walls of stigma by sharing our experiences, stories, and truths. It means educating others on what mental illness REALLY is, and helping those with illnesses know they are not alone.”

“Mental health awareness means that we’re not only acknowledging that mental health is important, but we’re talking about it, putting it out there so that people who feel too much can get the help they need too.”

“Awareness is the acceptance and understanding of something, in part or whole. It means learning about mental illness and being familiar with the vernacular of the movement. It means accepting the medical nature of it and not asking that people ‘get over it,’ when the solution is much more complex. At its finest, awareness also involves advocacy.”

“It means teaching others about what it really means to have a mental illness. It’s more than what you see on the news and how it’s portrayed in the media.”

“Mental illness awareness for me is being comfortable talking about my mental health without the fear of being judged for it. It’s less stigma and less hatred towards those with mental illness.”

“It means the knowledge that mental disorders are not illusions formed by one’s brain due to boredom or lack of personality. It means the understanding of the fact that depression is

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difficult to conquer. It means the ability to appreciate the effort of living and caring. It means all of those things and better, yet it means the difficulty of faking a smile and going through the day without complaining.”

“Educating people to reduce stigma and improve quality of life for those with mental illness and their families.”

“I have always believed the meaning of stigma is the lack of understanding of the unknown. With making it more aware will lessen the fear people have of Mental Health Diseases.”

“It means to educate myself to the extent that I can separate the person from the illness.”

“Mental illness awareness means acceptance and love rather than judgement and shame; it means an end to the stigma and the beginning of hope.”

According to the Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition, the word “communities” has been used in the English language since the 14th century to refer to groups of people within a district who share characteristics and a sense of identity. As such, they always work together to ensure the safe and welfare of each other—this is what we would call their wellbeing. The concept of community has also now expanded to include virtual communities, which are defined as groups of people who interact via communication media rather than face-to-face.

Communities are known to have always worked together for their wellbeing including mental health.

For example, in the mid-19th century, William Sweetser was the first to coin the term “mental hygiene”, which can be seen as the precursor to contemporary approaches to work on promoting positive mental health. Isaac Ray, one of the founders and the fourth president of the Am American Psychiatric

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Association, further defined mental hygiene as “the art of preserving the mind against all incidents and influences calculated to deteriorate its qualities, impair its energies, or derange its movements. Another key important figure in the development of ‘mental hygiene’ movement was Dorothea Dix (1802–1887).

Dix was a school teacher who endeavoured throughout her life to help people with mental disorders, and to bring to light the deplorable conditions into which they were put. Before this movement, it was not uncommon that people affected by mental illness in the 19th century would be considerably neglected, often left alone in deplorable conditions, barely even having sufficient clothing.

Today we see our communities carry on the ‘mental hygiene’ work started all those years ago in many ways and as we have heard the responses from the volunteers of our diverse communities, it is important that they are well supported to better promote the mental hygiene of our communities. One of the ways to support this is the campaign that is being organised by various partners in Nottingham such as the Nottingham City Council, Self Help UK, the Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham Recovery College, Notts County’s charity arm Football in the Community, the Mojatu Foundation, Nottingham Jobs Hub, Nottingham FE College, Nottingham Forest Community Trust and Framework to understand the problems that people are facing and possibly offer solutions to this dilemma.

Additionally, equipping them with the right trainings.

One that has been highly recommended is the Mental Health First Aid which Mojatu Foundation and Utulivu Women’s Group plus other partners will be providing from late 2018.

Please see Page 10 for more details.

mojatu.com

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Mental Health First Aid starts with you What is Mental Health First Aid? Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course which teaches people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis.

MHFA won’t teach you to be a therapist, but just like physical first aid, it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis.

Adult MHFA courses are for everyone aged 16 upwards. Every MHFA course is delivered by a quality assured instructor who has attended our Instructor Training programme accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, and is trained to keep people safe and supported while they learn.

What will I learn?

Learning takes place through a mix of group activities, presentations and discussions. What you learn will depend on the length of course you attend: Two Day - Mental Health First Aiders A practical skills and awareness course designed to give you: • A deeper understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect people’s wellbeing, including your own • Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues • Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress • Enhanced interpersonal skills such as nonjudgemental listening • Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to appropriate support

Starti fromng Summ 2018 er

One Day - MHFA Champions An awareness and skills course which will teach you to: • Recognise the main signs and symptoms of common mental health issues • Provide initial support • Guide a person towards appropriate professional help • Be mindful of your own wellbeing • Develop an understanding of how you can create and maintain a healthier workforce or community Half Day - MHFA Aware An introductory course designed to increase mental health awareness and give an understanding of how to look after wellbeing and challenge stigma.

When you complete your course you will get a certificate of attendance and an MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever you need it.

How will attending an MHFA course help?

Research and evaluation shows that taking part in an MHFA course: • Raises awareness and mental health literacy • Reduces stigma around mental ill health • Boosts knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues • Promotes early intervention which enables recovery To learn more or book a course, please cont act: Penny Cooper on penny@mojatu.com or 0115 784 6666 Book online at https://goo.gl/92XJAG

Nottingham N ottinghaST m connected connected

1 INTERNATIONAL SURVIVOR ALLIANCE FOR MODERN SLAVERY SURVIVORS TO BE LAUNCHED

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INTERVIEW WITH VALENTINE NKOYO

A team of survivors are launching the Survivor Alliance, an international network of modern slavery survivors on 23rd April. Partnering with the Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham, the mission of the Alliance is to unite and empower survivors of slavery and human trafficking around the world.

The founder and director of the NGO, Minh Dang, is studying for her PhD at the University of Nottingham and shares with us more about the Survivor Alliance.

Where did the idea of the Survivor Alliance come from?

The initial idea for our organization began in the U.S. in 2013, when a group of survivor leaders saw a lack of investment in long-term and meaningful engagement with survivor leaders. There was a growing interest from the anti-trafficking movement in the inclusion of survivor voices, but a lack of infrastructure to support survivors who were sharing their expertise and personal stories. A handful of supportive NGOs developed training programs and survivor networking opportunities, but they could not meet all the needs of a growing and diverse survivor community. Also, organisations were calling on the same survivor voices and there was a need to grow new leaders. The idea for the Survivor Alliance grew out of survivor leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desire to fill this gap.

What is the vision for the NGO? Our vision is a world where survivors of human trafficking and slavery are thriving members of society.

Why is working with survivors important?

We want to empower survivors to develop solutions for their own communities, and to collaborate with other survivor communities around the world. We believe that connecting survivor leaders and building their capacity will enhance their daily lives, improve the anti-slavery movement, and contribute bestpractices for community-based social change. Though we support survivor leaders in the anti-slavery field, we will support our members to pursue goals in other industries as well.

Why is it important to launch Survivor Alliance initiatives in the UK? The U.K. has a tradition of anti-slavery activism and there are growing cross-sector partnerships to provide support for survivors. This means that more and more survivors will live in the U.K. We think that this is a critical time for survivor voices to be involved in program and policy development. Based on our success in the US, we are keen to develop the UK chapter of the Survivor Alliance in collaboration with survivors based in the UK to ensure their needs as survivor leaders are met.

How can organisations tackling modern slavery can be involved?

We are keen to partner with organisations tackling modern slavery in different countries. The organisations can help us in different ways including: y Reaching out to survivors through our leaflets, posters, newsletters, social media, emails, etc. y Referring survivors to join the membership y Displaying and sharing our work within their networks y Joint bidding and co-hosting events y Representing us in their region How can other members of public be involved?

Members of public can help if different ways including: y Referring survivors of modern slavery to join the Survivor Alliance membership y Reaching out to survivors through our leaflets, posters, newsletters, social media etc y Volunteers with us y Fundraise for us How can you be contacted?

Website: www.survivoralliance.org Survivor Alliance membership membership@survivoralliance.org General enquiries info@survivoralliance.org

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mojatu.com

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2018: On 8 March 2018, women from all walks of life and faith came together to celebrate International Women’s Day which was held at the Hyson Green Community Centre.

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Facilitated by Valentine Nkoyo of Mojatu Foundation, this year, attendees ‘Pressed for Progress’ with an array of information stalls and inspiring speeches by Councillors Neghat Khan, Merlita Bryan, Carole Jones and other women who are examples of women who have ‘Pressed for Progress’ and made significant strides in their lives.

The event also included a fashion show, information stalls, awards ceremony and workshops delivered by Self Help Nottingham and Blue Mountain Women. Attendees were treated to delicious meals drawn from African, Caribbean and Asian cuisines.

The event was organised by 11-Tech-18, funded by Nottingham Equal and supported by Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Women’s Centre, Self Help UK, Global Sistaz United and Mojatu Foundation.

Nottingham connected

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2nd ANNUAL FEMPOWERMENT CELEBRATION

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mojatu.com

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GLOBAL SISTAZ UNITED CELEBRATE WOMEN’S DAY

By Edith Lucky-Uweh With the hustle & bustle year in year out amidst our personal battles, entertaining ourselves and the community in the most unique & unusual way, is what we love to do every International women’s day event.

For us it’s a celebration of the freedom we now enjoy as women through the continued fight of prestigious, strong & viable women. This year was our first

international women’s day celebration under Global Sistaz United and I am overwhelmed at the success.

We’ve always trusted our skills & ability, but to see it manifest in such a way as it did on this event was mind blowing. The atmosphere was unbelievably exciting & cheerful, every performance was as its peak. We couldn’t ask for more from the women, it was a perfect event.

Nottingham connected

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Research on African communities in Nottingham

By Ashleigh Boadi & Angela Wathoni The core purpose is to help us map and understand the groups presence and engagement levels coupled with the need to determine their main problems, the issues, needs and the concerns that these groups and individuals have.

The project aims to undertake a 6 months intensive mapping research on African communities living in and around Nottingham. GAIN Diaspora in conjunction with Mojatu Foundation, Nottingham University, Nottingham Trent University, Insite Radio, JSS Securities, Braai King Bistro, Fearless Youth Association, EMH, International Development Foundation (IDF) and volunteers are undertaking a mapping exercise to determine where African people in the city reside, where their organisations and activities are based and how they interact with other groups and organisations in the city and surrounding areas.

The overarching aim is to have an extensive research which is widely inclusive - covering all parts of the city - and capturing the best possible data and ensuring that there is a comprehensive report that is useful and relevant to individuals, organisations and institutions

in the city and beyond. We are also creating a better and more interactive website which will not only disseminate the information and data collected but also help the individuals and the communities to come together and interact on the platform and in their dayto-day lives.

As an extension of the pilot research we undertook in the beginning of last year, GAIN Diaspora is extending the participation of individuals and groups in developing a better and more encompassing research by bring groups (both GAIN members and those not part of GAIN) together in building a stronger and more grounded community with extensive relationships in and across communities.

The knowledge acquired, online platform developed will help, not just the African communities but other groups, individuals and communities to fulfil their potential by working to address issues affecting them at the earliest possible stage. The data collected will be thematically analysed and written into a publishable report. This research process is expected to take 5 months from 1st December 2017 to end of June 2018.

NOTTINGHAM AFRICAN COMMUNITIES RESEARCH Calling on All Africans living in Nottingham to join us in this research to

Understand the problems & concerns affecting Africans living in the city and the solutions necessary in addressing these issues.

Online Research @ https://goo.gl/kM33fR

Jan - Jun 2018

For more information, please contact: Sam: 0791 6148 263 E: info@gaindiaspora.co.uk W: www.gaindiaspora.co.uk Funded by

Follow us and see our upcoming g events: @gaindiaspora @gain_diaspora @gaindiaspora

mojatu.com

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TREE PLANTING: Taking the city to the farm

By Angela Wathoni Since late 2017, Farmeco Community Care in conjunction with Mojatu Foundation, GAIN Diaspora and other partners have come together to plant 4500 trees donated by Woodland Trust to establish the edible woodland section at Farmeco.

The project is aimed at benefiting the isolated and often economically disadvantaged communities living in the inner-city areas, especially those who never have time or opportunities to get out of the city over winter and spring to engage with one another by taking part in full day activities together in the countryside.

This project creates intergroup contact opportunity by bringing people together thereby reducing prejudice between majority and minority group members. It creates long-term relationships and engagement while building mutual trust and respect of the newfound friends. It encourages young people to consider agriculture and environmental oriented studies, an area many BME communities are hugely underrepresented.

such as driving, drilling, planting, putting guards on, monitoring, reviewing and writing the reports. They develop a sense of mutual trust and caring for one another through team working, linking people with one another and shared activities thereby creating mutual trust and interest in one another We collect people from various areas of inner city and take them to the farm for a whole day – 8 hours – for tree planting, pruning, juice making, working with farm machinery, working with the rural and farming environment training sessions on these activities. Here, they link with other local communities during the tree planting sessions and share meals.

Researches and reports in the city and beyond also show more of minority groups are highly segregated and distant from local white communities whom they rarely engage with unless at professional levels.

Improving congregation of people with different views, ideas and backgrounds will also improve – coupled with better health by getting outdoors – through such a project that will take people to the rural areas. Creative and innovative approaches have also been found necessary to improve people’s willingness and ability to have longer-term sense of citizenship. The project is taking place between January and April 2018.

See page 17 for more details

The community members who participate in this project also gain skills and knowledge in managing and organising meetings, managing and determining all aspects of the project including how best to organise transport, food sharing, practical skills and opportunities

NottinghamTaking connected category The City To the Farm

Free Sessions:

Refugees & Asylum Seekers Welcome Certificates Offered

Tuesdays & Saturdays Contact us for details

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ADOPT A TREE

Form online @ https://goo.gl/WyH9sz

Transport from Nottingham city & back + Refreshments provided

d n a l d Woo gement Maneassions S ep â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;18 Apr-S

EDIBLE WOODLAND Ecocentre, Home Farm, Screveton, NG13 8JL

www.farmeco.co.uk https://goo.gl/pEK1AC

Mojatu Foundation | 167 Alfreton Road, NG7 3JR T: 0115 784 6666 | M: 0751 366 1176 | E: angela@mojatu.com @mojatu.foundation

@ mojatuf

@mojatu_foundation

mojatu.com

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PATHWAY HOUSING SOLUTIONS ΈW,^Ή /E W ZdE Z^,/W WITH MOJATU FOUNDATION ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ŝŶƚŽ ,ŽƵƐŝŶŐ Θ ,ŽŵĞůĞƐƐŶĞƐƐ ǀŝĚĞŽ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ Pathway Solutions in conjunction with Mojatu Foundation are researching how homelessness has affected the lives of minority ethnic, migrant and marginalised people, and how these experiences impact on existing homeless and housing services and strategies. The research will also explore the role of Community Led Housing in tackling these issues, and in providing participants with a pathway to a better quality of life.

At a time where issues regarding the lack of affordable housing, housing shortages, and landlord exploitation gain political attention, and policy makers focus their attentions on those more able to afford their own home, this important issue has received little attention in the media and academia. Moreover, research reports have highlighted that people from ethnic minorities are more likely to become homeless than other groups, yet at the same time many people who are sofa surfing, or sharing bed-space do not view themselves as homeless.

This project aims to find a way to tackle this issue, to communicate with homeless people in a way that is meaningful to them, and to explore the reasons why they become homeless. We are looking for partners, funding, resources, equipment, data and research material, as well as participants willing to take part in the research and training, we have different approaches to how we will get the ball rolling and get data on this research; x ‘Participatory’ Video and Peer Research –This is by ‘homeless people’ interviewing other ‘homeless people’, and making their own films on this subject. x ‘Skills, Training and Confidence Building’ - This innovative project provides the means to involve ‘homeless people’ through activities that appeal to them. x ‘Community Led’ - Many people lack the confidence to take part in projects organised by statutory agencies. The project is led by local community organisations such as Mojatu Foundation and Pathway Housing. x ‘Multi-agency partnership’ - For the project to be a success, we are working with Mojatu Foundation and Fearless Youth Association (FYA) in digital media as well as digital storytelling to help in disseminating information about the research. We have also formed sub groups involving other local organisations that work with our group of people who are playing a key

role in encouraging people to take part in the project and in providing them with support.

The main aims of the project are: ϭ͘ Reduce and prevent homelessness, particularly amongst o those who are hidden homeless, o those who are over-represented, and o those homeless people who approach the Council for assistance, by identifying the reasons and risk factors of homelessness through research. Ϯ͘ Raise awareness of the reality of homelessness through a ‘participatory’ video project, targeting those who are at risk of homelessness, and in those in housing need. ϯ͘ Raise the skills level of people at risk of homelessness, which will help improve their life chances and will help them gain employment and find their own housing solutions.

The project is targeting people (individuals and families) aged 19+, who are facing housing problems, homeless or are at risk of homelessness. It is fair to say that it is also considering gender issues, and social issues.

The Key elements of the project include the following: ϭ͘ Providing multi-media (video, music etc.) training, as well as training of other key skills such as research, communications, and web development. Ϯ͘ Run a ‘participatory’ video project to engage people in the making of films that focus on homelessness. ϯ͘ Enable participants to undertake a research project on housing issues faced by their peers. ϰ͘ Enable participants to gain key skills in video production ϱ͘ Assist participants to set up a Housing Forum. This will ensure that they will continue to have a ‘voice’ on housing issues, and to provide an opportunity for Forum members to develop leadership skills. ϲ͘ Run a Peer Education programme to raise awareness of housing and homeless issues amongst a wider group of people. ϳ͘ Run an event for key stakeholders to disseminate the research findings. ϴ͘ Run a celebration event for the participants on the project.

Nottingham connected

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PATHWAY HOUSING SOLUTIONS SPONSORS SOUP KITCHEN

By Carol Young A St Ann’s based Soup kitchen recently received a financial boost from a community based organisation. Pathway Housing Solutions, a social enterprise, set up with the sole purpose of improving communities through the provision of training and housing, made a donation toward the work of the soup kitchen.

Pathway Housing Solutions sources disused properties for renovation, and land for building homes that are secure, decent and affordable. The refurbished properties are let at affordable rents to those in housing need. Carol Young one of the co-founders commented that “Pathway Housing Solutions works hard at generating housing solutions, to ensure that no one is adversely affected by homelessness”.

Pathway Housing Solutions provides opportunities for unemployed people to gain on site and classroom training in construction. Through this programme trainees are given the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of construction so that they can gain qualifications and practical experience.

The soup kitchen, located at the Seventh Day Adventist church in the St Ann’s area of Nottingham is just one of several community initiatives that Pathway Housing Solutions is involved in. The Soup kitchen serves food on a weekly basis for people in need. The Community Ministries department of the church first opened the church doors to serve hot meals to the homeless and hungry in November 2013. The department also holds a senior citizens club every Tuesday where exercise classes, arts and craft sessions and dominoes are played. Those that attend the club can also look forward to receiving a hot meal.

The soup kitchen was started following a spike in the number of homeless people sleeping rough on the streets of Nottingham. Mrs Wilfred Anderson, the Community Ministries leader for the church saw the impact that the changes to the welfare system and recession was having on her community and decided to do something about it. Her response to this problem resulted in the start- up of the soup kitchen at the church. “The mission of the church is simply, to provide a warm and nutritious meal to anyone who is hungry regardless of their situation or condition”. The department are appreciative of the donation provided

by Pathway Housing solutions. it has enabled the soup

kitchen to provide additional food provisions such as cake and biscuits in addition to the weekly soup.

Mrs Anderson states that the doors to the soup Kitchens are open to all. No one is required to attend a religious service, all are welcome; they only need to be hungry”

FOR FURTHER DETAILS: Soup kitchen times: Tuesdays 6-8pm, Nottingham Seventh Day Adventist Church, St Anne’s Wells Road, Nottingham, NG3 1EJ www.nottinghamadventist.org.uk PATHWAY HOUSING SOLUTIONS www.pathwayhousingsolutions.org.uk THE RESEARCH TEAM Alice Davey: alice@mojatu.com Dr Edith Ogochukwu: edith@mojatu.com Henri Baptiste: henribaptiste6@gmail.com

Mrs Winifred Anderson cooking for the soup kitchen

mojatu.com

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IS ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF WORTHY THE $5 MILLION IBRAHIM PRIZE? - By Simon Allison To the world, she’s a glowing leader, but Liberians may disagree that their former president was ‘exceptional’.

Finally, after a three-year drought, the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership has a winner: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first-ever female head of state and, until recently, the president of Liberia.

‘Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took the helm of Liberia when it was completely destroyed by civil war and led a process of reconciliation that focused on building a nation and its democratic institutions. Throughout her two terms in office, she worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Liberia. Such a journey cannot be without some shortcomings and, today, Liberia continues to face many challenges.

‘Nevertheless, during her 12 years in office, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf laid the foundations on which Liberia can now build,’ said Salim Ahmed Salim, the former Tanzanian prime minister who is also chair of the Ibrahim Prize Committee.

The Ibrahim Prize is awarded to a former African executive head of state who left office in the past three years, was democratically elected, served his or her constitutionally mandated term and – most importantly – demonstrated exceptional leadership along the way. It has not been awarded since 2014, when Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba received the commendation – an award described at the time as ‘debatable’ by the Institute for Security Studies’ (ISS) Liesl Louw-Vaudran.

This is not the first major honour to be bestowed upon Johnson Sirleaf. In 2011 she was among three women awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in the ‘non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work’, according to the citation.

But Johnson Sirleaf’s Nobel Prize was not without its critics. Most notably, a year after the award, fellow 2011 prize winner Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian civil society activist, said she felt compelled to speak out against the president’s record in office. ‘You’re as bad as being an accomplice

for things that are happening in the country if you don’t speak up,’ she said.

Gbowee said Johnson Sirleaf’s government was rife with nepotism, with family and friends of the president pushed into senior positions. These included her son, Robert Sirleaf, who was then head of the state oil firm; and her stepson Fumba Sirleaf, who ran the National Security Agency. Gbowee also criticised the then president’s record on poverty reduction, arguing that the gap between rich and poor had increased on Johnson Sirleaf’s watch.

Gbowee is not the only Liberian to question Johnson Sirleaf’s leadership credentials. In fact, so contentious is her legacy that even her allies were wary of accepting her endorsement in last year’s presidential election, for fear that it might harm their chances.

As Foreign Policy reported: ‘So disliked is she that on the eve of Liberia’s October 10 general election, her own vice president, Joseph Boakai – who is vying with 19 other candidates to succeed her – has tried to distance himself from Sirleaf on the campaign trail. “If you park a race car in the garage for 12 years, it gets rusty,” Boakai said at a recent presidential debate.’

Not that it helped Boakai: long-time opposition leader George Weah won the election, and has now taken over as president.

Johnson Sirleaf assumed power in Liberia in 2006, in the aftermath of a long and bloody civil war. This background has come to define her presidency. In the eyes of many, especially the international community, the mere fact that she was able to prevent a return to conflict is enough of an achievement. But her critics are not so sure that this is enough to warrant the adulation she receives from the international community – of which the Ibrahim Prize, with its promise to reward only ‘exceptional leadership’, is the latest symptom.

‘Her legacy is marked by shades of grey,’ said Fonteh Akum, a senior researcher at the ISS. ‘Obviously the baseline expectation with electing a post-war president is to prevent a relapse into conflict. With the help of the international community, and especially the United Nations troops deployed

Nottingham connected in Liberia for almost the duration of her tenure, she did what she was expected to do. But an exceptional leader would have done more.’

Akum highlights several flaws in her government – for one, the failure to sustain significant economic growth, which now hovers at less than 3%, although this was complicated by sluggish global commodity prices and the Ebola outbreak. He also lists the endemic nepotism and corruption that characterised her administration, as well as her reluctance to decentralise government functions, concentrating power in the presidency.

Ebola in particular challenged her governance credentials: although she deserves credit for ultimately defeating the epidemic, it was Liberia’s poor health system that allowed it to flourish.

It is also worth remembering that in 2009, Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission – established to examine abuses committed during the civil war – recommended that Johnson Sirleaf be banned from politics for her early support of former president Charles Taylor. Taylor was subsequently convicted of war crimes by an international tribunal.

It is these issues that have defined her legacy in Liberia itself, argues Akum – in contrast to her glowing reputation outside the country. ‘There is a stark difference between how Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is perceived by Liberians and by the international community. The international community has a way in which they uphold her, as Africa’s first female president, who led the country out of civil war. But when you talk to Liberians, they are a lot more critical

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and expected a lot more from her.’

Not that Johnson Sirleaf’s legacy is necessarily set in stone. The Ibrahim Prize comes with a cash bonus in excess of $5 million. This gives the former president the financial freedom to determine the shape and nature of her post-presidency contribution. How she conducts herself now that she’s out of the political spotlight may ultimately say more about her leadership and values than her two terms in office.

Johnson Sirleaf may not be quite as ‘exceptional’ as the award of the prestigious Ibrahim Prize may suggest. But it’s not too late for her to try.

Simon Allison is ISS Consultant. Originally published in Institute for Security Studies (ISS) website – www.issafrica.org Disclaimer: Simon Allison worked as Communications Officer for the Mo Ibrahim Foundation from 2009-2011.

mojatu.com

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Time to rethink philanthropy journalism in East Africa

By Anthony Wafula and Mendi Njonjo

Journalists in Kenya protesting against muzzling of the media.

If we consider that journalism is about freely exchanging information based on news, views or ideas, then the context within which journalism is practised matters. In East Africa this context is challenging.

Intimidation and harassment of journalists is rife. Critical media outlets are being shut down on flimsy grounds and others starved of government advertisement.

Punitive media laws targeting journalists and media outlets have been enacted. Poor organization among journalists and feeble selfregulation attempts haven’t helped the situation.

In essence, this context has contributed to an increasingly weak media where ‘survival journalism’ is taking root.

Self-censorship, pandering to commercial and political interests, the sacking of critical journalists and closure of media outlets continue to undermine the existence of an independent and free media in the region.

We hold that a conducive working environment, an enabling legal and policy environment, and support for freedom of expression are some

of the prerequisite conditions for great journalism.

These conditions are not mutually exclusive for those supporting media development in Kenya.

A 2006 BBC World Service Trust panAfrican research report on the African Media Development Initiative outlines sector-wide approaches in Kenya, though documentation on their effectiveness is scant.

In 2008, a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)-Kenya commissioned Kenya Media sector analysis report suggests that, though holistic approaches might have been in evidence at the time of the World Service Trust report, they had been abandoned two years later.

Kenya Media Sector Analysis paints a picture of media development initiatives dedicated to ‘capacity building programmes for media as part of core programme support for civic education on gender, governance, democracy, human rights, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, livelihoods, security, and sector reforms’.

This is despite the report’s observation that Kenya’s media sector is ‘characterized by serious and chronic system-wide challenges

that require effective, coordinated and systemic approaches’. In our view, the approaches cited in the CIDA report haven’t been effective due to their short-term nature and have largely dwelt on two aspects within the media ecosystem – professionalism and content production.

Philanthropists thus need to question whether such shortterm approaches are responsive to the East Africa context and the extent to which such support enhances a sustainable media ecosystem.

Sustainable media ecosystems in our view include strong, independent, professional media and media institutions, vibrant journalists’ associations, media training institutions, media and journalism regulatory bodies, and a supportive government.

A radio presenter hosting a talk show on Radio Jambo.

Nottingham connected Such ecosystems exhibit pluralism in content, ownership and constituency, and demonstrate ethical behaviour standards and practices as well as professional quality journalism.

In our context, a sustainable media ecosystem is desirable.

Journalists need to feel safe and free to ply their trade. Close collaboration with governments in the region to guarantee a conducive environment for journalists is mandatory. We need to pay attention to the quality of journalism being practised by working closely with journalists, editors, media owners, media training institutions and media regulatory agencies.

Principally, we need to support alternative media outlets to disseminate critical media content, especially where media capture by political and commercial interests is as pervasive as it is in East Africa.

This has generally been on account of ownership. For instance in Kenya, a 2012 Internews study on media ownership established that politicians and their associates own or have controlling stakes in a large number of media outlets in Kenya.

issues affecting specific media ecosystems, and the desire to influence media content and advocate for specific issues – civic education on gender, governance, democracy, human rights, HIV/AIDS and other health issues, livelihoods, security, and sector reforms.

Success in this approach is seen from the number of articles published and the number of journalists trained. The sustainability of such initiatives is never on the cards, leading us to believe that such efforts are short-term in nature.

Though useful, this kind of support is geared towards developing a media adept at articulating such issues and strengthening only one aspect of the media system.

In Kenya, considerable investments have been dedicated to the training of journalists to become better subject matter specialists – data, science, health and investigative journalists.

Other philanthropists have focused on supporting the establishment of media outlets, especially community media in Kenya, while others have focused on the safety and protection of journalists.

This ownership largely increases the extent of political influence in those outlets’ management and content.

This is prevalent in registered community media outlets especially where such politicians assure the financing of such stations.

Commercial interests, on the other hand, ensure that ‘negative content’ on large corporates is censored.

Corporates have been known to pull advertisements from media houses that run ‘negative’ content, hence further limiting their independence.

Unfortunately, based on our experience with philanthropists, a holistic approach to media development seems to be the one least desired by most of them, largely due to limited resources, inadequate knowledge of key

A snapshot of newspapers in Kenya Though well meaning, these efforts are mostly short-term in nature, opportunistic, disjointed, at times duplicate other efforts and in some instances don’t reflect an understanding of the root challenges facing the media ecosystem especially in Kenya.

For instance, it is not unusual to find one journalist being trained by five different organizations in data, health or science

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journalism. Rarely does one find a coordinated effort to ensure that media houses and not just the individual journalist have a better grasp of cutting-edge issues in such subjects.

Consequently, we have noted an over-supply of low-quality training for journalists and an under-supply of support to smaller media players, together with a lack of sustainability of media development initiatives in Kenya. It is our contention that philanthropists need to start paying attention to the aspects of the media ecosystem where their support can be most effective.

Having implemented sector-wide media development programmes in Kenya and Tanzania we have learned that philanthropybacked journalism that solely focuses on one aspect of the media ecosystem is unlikely to be effective in the long run since addressing the structural issues facing the sector takes a long time and requires more resources.

Although at times successful, support to ‘quality media content production’ is often unsustainable, especially in a fast-changing media context. Thus, support to journalism and media in general is meaningful when philanthropists collaborate to support a long-term sustainable media ecosystem.

Anthony Wafula is regional programme manager, transparency, accountability and freedom of expression, Hivos Hub East Africa.

Email awafula@hivos.org Mendi Njonjo is regional director, Hivos Hub East Africa. Email mnjonjo@hivos.org This article

by Anthony Wafula and Mendi Njonjo was originally published

by Alliance magazine on 5 December 2017. The original article can be found here. For more philanthropy and social investment coverage, please visit www.alliancemagazine.org.

24 Community

NOTTINGHAM COMMUNITIES CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF AN ICON

By Edwin Ubah ^ƵŶĚĂLJ ƚŚĞ ϰth ŽĨ &ĞďƌƵĂƌLJ ϮϬϭϴ͕ ǁĂƐ Ă ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐ ĚĂLJ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ ďĞůŽǀĞĚ ĐŝƚLJ ĂƐ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶƐ ŶĂŵĞůLJ͗ dŚĞ ĨƌŝĐĂŶ ĂƚŚŽůŝĐ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͕ ŽŵŵŽŶ tĞĂůƚŚ ĨƌŝĐĂ͕ dŚĞ /ŐďŽ hŶŝŽŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ͕ dŚĞ /ŐďŽ ďĂƐƐĂĚŽƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŐďŽ tŽŵĞŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ͕ ĂŶĚ ŽƚŚĞƌ /ŐďŽ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚLJ͕ DŽũĂƚƵ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͕ ŽƵŶĐŝůŽƌ WĂƟĞŶĐĞ /ĨĞĚŝŽƌĂ͕ ŽƵŶĐĞůŽƌ >ĞƐůŝĞ LJŽŽůĂ͕ ƚŚĞ ^ŚĞƌŝī ŽĨ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ͕ ŽƵŶĐŝůůŽƌ 'ůLJŶ :ĞŶŬŝŶƐ ǁŚŽ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ >ŽƌĚ ŵĂLJŽƌ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ĐĂŶĚůĞ ůŝŐŚƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ůŝĨĞ ŽĨ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ĞƌŶĂƌĚ KŬĞŶǁĂ ϭϵϰϱͲϮϬϭϳ͘ dŚĞ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶ ƚŽŽŬ ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŚĞ DĂƌĐƵƐ 'ĂƌǀĞLJ ĞŶƚƌĞ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ͘ ƚƌĞĞ ǁĂƐ ƉůĂŶƚĞĚ ŝŶ ŚŽŶŽƵƌ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŵĞŵďƌĂŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ůĞŐĂĐLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ &'D ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ DŽũĂƚƵ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘ BRIEF BIOGRAPHY: ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ĞƌŶĂƌĚ KĚŝŵďĂ KŬĞŶǁĂ KŐĂďŬĂĞŐŽ ǁĂƐ ďŽƌŶ ŝŶ hŵƵŵďĂƌĂ K<ǁĞ ƵƚŽŶŽŵŽƵƐ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͕ KďŽƌŽ͕ŝŶ /ŬǁƵĂŶŽ >ŽĐĂů 'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ ƌĞĂ͕ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĨĂŵŝůLJ ŽĨ DŽƐĞƐ KŐĂďŬĂĞŐŽ ĂŶĚ DĂƌLJ DďĂnjŝ KŬĞŶǁĂ ŝŶ ϭϵϰϱ͘ ,Ğ ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞĚ ŚŝƐ ƉƌŝŵĂƌLJ ĂŶĚ ƐĞĐŽŶĚĂƌLJ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂůƐŽ ƚƌĂŝŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞĚ ĂƐ Ă EƵƌƐĞ ŝŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ͘ ,Ğ ƌŽƐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ EƵƌƐŝŶŐ ^ƵƉĞƌŝŶƚĞŶĚĂŶƚ ŝŶ hŵƵĂŚŝĂ ďŝĂ ^ƚĂƚĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƐƚĞƌŶ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ EŝŐĞƌŝĂŶͲ ŝĂĨƌĂ tĂƌ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŚĞ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƐĂǀŝŶŐ ŵĂŶLJ ůŝǀĞƐ͘ ,Ğ ĂůƐŽ ůĞŌ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ ŝŶ ϭϵϳϰ ĨŽƌ ŚŝƐ ƉŽƐƚŐƌĂĚƵĂƚĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ŝŶ /ŶƚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ĂƌĞ EƵƌƐŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ Ăƚ ŝƚLJ ,ŽƐƉŝƚĂů EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ,Ğ ĂůƐŽ ŽďƚĂŝŶĞĚ Ă ĚĞŐƌĞĞ ŝŶ ^ŽĐŝĂů ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞŶ dƌĞŶƚ WŽůŝƚĞĐŚŶŝĐ ;ŶŽǁ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ dƌĞŶƚ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJͿ͘ ,Ğ ĂůƐŽ ŽďƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŵĂŶLJ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ h< ĂŶĚ ĂůƐŽ ŽǁŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƌĂŶ ƚǁŽ ƌĞƉƵƚĂďůĞ ĐĂƌĞ ,ŽŵĞƐ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ Ɵůů ŚŝƐ ĚĞƉĂƌƚƵƌĞ ŝŶ ϮϬϭϳ͘ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ǁĂƐ ƐƵƌǀŝǀĞĚ ďLJ ŚŝƐ ƐǁĞĞƚ ŚĞĂƌƚ ǁŚŽŵ ŚĞ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ŵĂƌƌŝĞĚ ƚŽ ƐŝŶĐĞ ϭϵϳϮ͗ >Ž>Ž DƌƐ ŽƌĚĞůŝĂ KŬĞŶǁĂ͘;EĞĞ :ŝďƵĞnjĞͿ Ă ǁŽŵĂŶ ŚĞ ůŽǀĞĚ ĂŶĚ ǁĂƐ ĂůǁĂLJƐ ďLJ ŚĞƌ ƐŝĚĞ ŝŶ ƐŝĐŬŶĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ƵŶƟů ŚĞ ƉĂƐƐĞĚ ĂǁĂLJ ĂŌĞƌ ďƌŝĞĨ ŝůůŶĞƐƐ͕ ŚŝƐ ϰ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͕ ϭϬ ŐƌĂŶĚ ŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͕ ϭ ĚĂƵŐŚƚĞƌ ŝŶ ůĂǁ ĂŶĚ ϯ ƐŽŶͲŝŶͲůĂǁ͕ ŚŝƐ ƐŝƐƚĞƌ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶLJ ŵŽƌĞ ƌĞůĂƟǀĞƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĞůů ǁŝƐŚĞƌƐ͘ ,Ğ ǁĂƐ ƉĂƚƌŽŶ ƚŽ ŵĂŶLJ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ĂŶĚ ďĞLJŽŶĚ͘ ŚŝĞĨ ǁĂƐ ĂůƐŽ ŬŶŽǁŶ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ĨĂƚŚĞƌ ŽĨ ŵĂŶLJ͖ ǁŚŽƐĞ ůŝǀĞƐ ŚĞ ƚŽƵĐŚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŝƐ ƉŚŝůŽƐŽƉŚŝĐĂů ǁŝƐĚŽŵ ĂŶĚ ĨĂƚŚĞƌůLJ ĂĚǀŝĐĞ͘ ,Ğ ǁĂƐ ĂůƐŽ ĂŶ ŽƵƚƐƉŽŬĞŶ &'D ĞƌĂĚŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶĞƌ ĂŶĚ ĂŵďĂƐƐĂĚŽƌ ĂƐ ŚĞ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŐŽŽĚ ǁŽƌŬ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ DŽũĂƚƵ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘ ůƐŽ͕ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ǁĂƐ Ă ŵĂũŽƌ ƐƉĞĂŬĞƌ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ &'D /ŶƚĞƌƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĐŽŶĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ dƌĞŶƚ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͘ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ǁĂƐ Ă ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĐŽŚĞƐŝŽŶ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶĞƌ͕ ŚĞ ǁĂƐ ǁĞůů ƌĞƐƉĞĐƚĞĚ ĂŵŽŶŐ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ͘ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ ǁĂƐ ĂŶ /ŐďŽ ŚŝĞĨ͕ ƌŽǁŶĞĚ ŝŶ EŝŐĞƌŝĂ͕ ƉĂƐƐĞĚ ĂǁĂLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ h< ĂŶĚ ŚŝƐ ďŽĚLJ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƚĂŬĞŶ ƚŽ ďĂĐŬ ƚŽ ŚŝƐ ĂŶĐĞƐƚƌĂů ŚŽŵĞ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŚĞ ŝƐ ŶŽǁ ƌĞƐƟŶŐ ŝŶ W ͘ DĂLJ LJŽƵƌ ŐĞŶƚůĞ ƐŽƵů ƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ ƉĞĂĐĞ͊ ŵĞŶ͊ ĚŝĞƵ ŽƵƌ ,ŝŐŚ ŚŝĞĨ͊

ADIEU PAPAaaa!!!

mojatu.com

Nottingham connected

Community

LATE HIGH CHIEF BERNARD OKENWA

25

mojatu.com

26 Faith & Spirituality

WOMANSLAUGHTER The tragedy of maternal mortality in the 21st century Picture the following scenes….

It’s 1915 and in a home in the Welsh valleys, a woman (let’s call her Hannah) goes into labour. Hannah and her husband John have seven children, the youngest is 3yrs old. When Hannah is six months pregnant she goes into premature labour. Unlike her previous deliveries, Hannah does not recover immediately. She begins to bleed heavily and within 30mins, she is also dead…the cause of death is Catastrophic Post-Partum Haemorrhage.

Fast forward 100yrs….

It’s 2015 and a pregnant woman, also called Hannah, arrives at a UK hospital. She quickly delivers a baby girl.

The mother is given a drug is called Oxytocin which prevents excessive blood loss. However, she continues to bleed more heavily than expected, so she is given a second medication called Misoprostol. That plus a blood transfusion, bring her body to a near normal state. All is well and 24hrs later, mum and baby return home.

At the same time….

A woman, goes into labour in a slum in Liberia’s capital.

Thankfully, she makes it to the local hospital and gives birth to a baby girl. However, soon after birth she starts bleeding. Neither the Oxytocin or Misoprostol is available. Hannah dies 15minutes after giving birth.

The cause of death is documented as Catastrophic Post-Partum Haemorrhage. The chances of the baby dying before her 5th birthday have increased tenfold with the death of her mother.

Yet the medication which Hannah in Liberia should have received is out there. In 2000, the UN launched their Millennium Development Goals, a global strategy for reducing global poverty by raising the standard of living for the poorest on the planet to a basic level.

Millennium Development Goal number five was to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. The estimated number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth in 2000 was 550,000. If you add together the number killed in the Asian tsunami with that of the

Haitian earthquake, the total doesn’t amount to the number of women dying year on year from childbirth.

Furthermore, it is likely that this is an underestimation because in remote rural areas, females are born, grow up, get married, become pregnant and die without an official record of such events.

Despite this, in 2012, the numbers of women dying annually was revised to 287,000. However, the numbers were not being reduced quickly enough to achieve the Goal of 137,000. In 2015, the estimated number of women dying annually was revised again to 303,000.

One third of that number is made up by two countries, Nigeria with 58,000 deaths and India with 40,000 maternal deaths. Nigeria and India have extremes of wealth and poverty. India has a space programme and Nigeria has oil resources yet one third of the 300,000 women dying annually will have haemorrhaged to death. A condition which can be remedied simply and inexpensively.

So why are women dying in such numbers in the 21stcentury when we have we have the most amazing technology at our fingertips. We must ask ourselves this question… ‘If men were dying is such numbers every year, would something have been done about it?’

A speaker at a maternal health conference in Uganda in 2008, summed it up perfectly.

“Women are not dying of diseases we cannot treat; they are dying because society has decided that they are not worth treating.” Please read the following facts and see if you agree with the above quote. x 99% of maternal deaths occur in the developing world. x 99% of maternal deaths are avoidable x Worldwide, pregnancy and childbirth are the biggest killers of females between the ages of 15 and 29. x In Chad, there is a saying “A woman who is pregnant has one foot in the grave.” x Losing these women costs the world more than it would to save them. Women produce 70% of the wealth in developing countries. That loss plus the

Nottingham connected cost of caring for orphans is greater than putting in place initiatives to prevent their deaths. If we don’t do this on humanitarian grounds, we must do it on economic grounds. The world cannot afford to continue losing mothers in such numbers.

Why is this appalling situation still continuing? In my view, there is not a single cause, but here are a few, based on my 12 years of experience. x There is a lack of political will to address the issues around maternal mortality. x In some cultures, women are valued by the number of children they produce, but of course the more babies they have, the greater the risk of complications and death. x The desire for baby boys is leading to pressure on women to give birth more frequently, yet many still do not realise that it is the father of a baby who determines whether the child will be a boy or a girl. x Lack of free healthcare is preventing women from accessing hospital or health centre services. They have to travel long distances (I have witnessed a woman being transported in a wheelbarrow and another on a door.) x The roads/infrastructure in some countries make it impossible for women to be transported safely. x Poverty. Western companies pay their workers a pittance. I spoke to a man who was going down a diamond mine for $5 a day. We quite rightly fight for fair pay in the west, but what is fair about large companies exploiting poverty stricken communities by significantly underpaying them. x When disasters, such as Ebola, strike Africa there is often little or no response from the west until the situation has drastically escalated. We are global citizens with a responsibility to the most vulnerable on this planet. If we enrich these countries by supporting their citizens, they will need goods and services from the west. x There is a lack of empowered women who can make decisions over their own lives and fertility.

So why am I, a retired Senior Nurse concerned about the situation…

In 2005, I happened to see a PANORAMA programme about maternal mortality in Chad, Central Africa. The country’s largest hospital was losing at least one mother

Faith & Spirituality

27

every single day and around a quarter of the newborn babies were dying. It was clear that poverty was the cause.

I contacted the BBC and helped to set up our organisation which would support that hospital and its inspirational Head of Obstetrics, Dr Grace Kodindo. We raised funds and shipped the medications needed to save the women’s lives. Soon, Dr Grace was reporting to us that around 25 women per month were surviving who would have died without our medications. In 2007, we were asked by the UNFPA to help Sierra Leone and Liberia. We responded and are now providing midwifery skill sharing opportunities for UK midwives to travel to these two wonderful countries.

So, to return to 1915 and Hannah who died in childbirth having her 11th child; this might hold the key to why I responded to that programme as I did. Hannah was a real person; she was my grand-mother. My father was 3yrs old and grew up without a mother. He was the youngest of seven surviving children. So I grew up, hearing first-hand from my father what it was like not having a mother in the home and wondered why she had died. In 2015 I made it my mission to get a copy of her death certificate. The cause of her death was recorded as follows: Catastrophic Haemorrhage following premature delivery.

So, without ever realising it, I have been heading up a small organisation which is providing the medication to women, who in the 21st century are dying from the catastrophic condition, which killed my grand-mother over 100yrs ago.

The cost of that medication you ask? Just around 50p per woman…less than the cost of a 1st Class Stamp.

ANGELA GORMAN. www.lifeforafricanmothers.org FaceBook: Life for African Mothers.

Twitter: @Life4AM

28 Faith & Spirituality

COMMUNITIES OF FAITH: MAKING NOTTINGHAM COMMUNITIES BETTER

By Clive Foster / Ăŵ ƌĞĂůůLJ ĞdžĐŝƚĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚŝƐ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ &ĂŝƚŚ column for Mojatu Magazine. dŚŝƐ ŝƐ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ƚŽ ďƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞ of faith to the myriad of issues that are facing our ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ƚŽĚĂLJ ĂŶĚ / ůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞƐĞ experiences with you. /Ŷ ŵLJ ŽǁŶ ůŝĨĞ ĂƐ Ă ŚƌŝƐƟĂŶ ŝƚ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ŵLJ ĨĂŝƚŚ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶƐƚĂŶƚ ŐƵŝĚŝŶŐ ůŝŐŚƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĂŶLJ ƵƉƐ ĂŶĚ ĚŽǁŶƐ ŽĨ ůŝĨĞ͛Ɛ ũŽƵƌŶĞLJ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚŝƐ ĐŽůƵŵŶ / ŚŽƉĞ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƌĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵ ŚŽǁ ĨĂŝƚŚ ƉůĂLJƐ ĂŶ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ƌŽůĞ ƚŚĞ ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ͘ ,ĂǀŝŶŐ ǁŽƌŬĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŽǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ LJĞĂƌƐ / ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĐŽŵĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ĂǁĂƌĞ ŽĨ ŚŽǁ ĨĂŝƚŚ ƉůĂLJƐ ĂŶ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ ƚŽ ĚĂLJ ĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚĂŬĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŝǀĞƐ͘ / ŚĂǀĞ ƐĞĞŶ ŚŽǁ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƉƌŽƵĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĨĂŝƚŚ ƚŚĂƚ ŚŽůĚƐ ĂŶĚ ƵƉůŝŌƐ ƚŚĞŵ ĂŶĚ / ŚĂǀĞ ƐĞĞŶ ŚŽǁ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŚĂǀĞ ďĞĞŶ ƚĂƌŐĞƚĞĚ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞůLJ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨĂŝƚŚ ŝŶ ƉĂƌƟĐƵůĂƌ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ŚĂƚĞ ĐƌŝŵĞ͘ zĞƚ ŝŶ ƚĞƌŵƐ ŽĨ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĐŽŚĞƐŝŽŶ ŽŶĞ ĐŽƵůĚ ŵĂŬĞ Ă ƚƌĞŵĞŶĚŽƵƐ ĐĂƐĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ƌŽůĞ ŽĨ ĨĂŝƚŚ ŚĂƐ ƉůĂLJĞĚ Ă ƌĞŐƵůĂƟŶŐ ĨŽƌĐĞ ŝŶ ĞŶƐƵƌŝŶŐ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚƌĞĂƚ ĞĂĐŚ ŽŶĞ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ ǁĞůů͘ &ĂŝƚŚ ƉůĂLJƐ ĂŶ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ƉĂƌƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůŝĨĞ ĨŽƌ ƐŽ ŵĂŶLJ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ŽƵƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ͘ &Žƌ ƐŽŵĞ ŝƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ŝŶĐŽŶĐĞŝǀĂďůĞ ŶŽƚ ƚŽ ĞdžƉƌĞƐƐ ĨĂŝƚŚ Ͳ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŵŽŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ǁĂŬŝŶŐ ƵƉ͕ ƐĂLJŝŶŐ ƉƌĂLJĞƌƐ͕ ŵĞĚŝƚĂƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƐŽŵĞ ƐĐƌŝƉƚƵƌĂů Žƌ ŝŶƐƉŝƌĂƟŽŶĂů ƚĞdžƚ ƚŽ ƐƚĂƌƚ ƚŚĞ ĚĂLJ͘ &Žƌ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ ĨĂŝƚŚ ŵĂLJ ŶŽƚ ƉůĂLJ Ă ůĂƌŐĞ ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ Ă ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ƐĞŶƐĞ ďƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƚŚƌĞĂĚ ŽĨ ƐƉŝƌŝƚƵĂůŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ŝƐ ĂŶ ŝŶĞƐĐĂƉĂďůĞ ďŽŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ůŝŶŬƐ ƵƐ Ăůů ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ͚ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ŽĨ ŚƵŵĂŶŝƚLJ͛͘ ^Ž ǁŚĂƚĞǀĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĨĂŝƚŚ ƉĞƌƐƵĂƐŝŽŶ Žƌ ŶŽƚ ǁĞ ĐĂŶŶŽƚ ĂǀŽŝĚ ŚŽǁ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĐŽŚĞƐŝŽŶ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ŝŶ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ŚĂƐ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĚ ƵƐ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƵŶŝƚLJ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ ĐŝƚLJ͘

mojatu.com Senior Pastor at Pilgrim Church, The Meadows and Nottingham Citizens Leadership Group Member EŽǁ ůĞƚ ŵĞ ƐĂLJ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐĞƚ ƚŚĂƚ / Ăŵ ǀĞƌLJ ƉƌŽƵĚ ƚŽ ďĞ Ă ĐŝƟnjĞŶ ŽĨ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ŝŶ ǁŚŝĐŚ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ͕ ǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐ ĐŝƚLJ ǁŚĞƌĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ǁŚŽůĞ ŐĞƚ ŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ĞĂĐŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ͘ /ŶĚĞĞĚ ĞǀĞƌLJ ĚĂLJ / ŵĞĞƚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƟƌĞůĞƐƐůLJ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƚLJ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŽ ůŝǀĞ ŝŶ ƚĞƌŵƐ ŽĨ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĐŽŚĞƐŝŽŶ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŶĂŵĞůĞƐƐ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ǁŚŽ ŚĂǀĞ ŶŽ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚ ƚŚĂŶ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŽ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ͘ tĞ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ďĞ ƉƌŽƵĚ ƚŚĂƚ ŽƌĚŝŶĂƌLJ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĨƌŽŵ ĨĂŝƚŚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ ĂŶ ĞǀĞƌ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ ƌŽůĞ ŝŶ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĐŽŚĞƐŝŽŶ͘ dŚĞƌĞ ŝƐ Ă ƐĂLJŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ͕ ͚ƐŽĐŝĂů ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ŶĞǀĞƌ ƌŽůůƐ ŝŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ǁŚĞĞůƐ ŽŶ ŝŶĞǀŝƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ ƟƌĞůĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĚŝĐĂƚĞĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ďƌŝŶŐŝŶŐ ŚŽŵĞ ƚŚŝƐ ĐŚĂŶŐĞ͛͘ dŚĞ ƌĞĐĞŶƚ ŚŝŐŚ ƉƌŽĮůĞ ĞǀĞŶƚƐ ŽĨ ƌĂĐŝĂů ĚŝƐĐƌŝŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ Ăƚ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ dƌĞŶƚ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂŐŝĐ ĚĞĂƚŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐLJƉƟĂŶ ĨĞŵĂůĞ ƚĞĞŶĂŐĞƌ ŚĂƐ ďƌŽƵŐŚƚ ŝŶƚŽ ĨŽĐƵƐ ƚŚŽƐĞ ǀŝƚĂů ďŽŶĚƐ ŽĨ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌŶĞƐƐ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ĐĂŶŶŽƚ ƚĂŬĞ ĨŽƌ ŐƌĂŶƚĞĚ͘ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŽĨ ĨĂŝƚŚ ƉĞƌŚĂƉƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĂŶ ĞǀĞŶ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƌ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŝŶ ƚĞƌŵƐ ŽĨ Ă ĐŽŵŵŽŶ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂůůĞŐŝĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ 'ŽĚ ĂŶĚ ƐĞůŇĞƐƐůLJ ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ŽƚŚĞƌƐ ǁŚŝĐŚ ŝƐ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂƌƚ ŽĨ Ăůů ƚƌƵĞ ƌĞůŝŐŝŽŶƐ͘ ^Ž ǁŚĂƚ ǁĞ ĐĂŶ ůĞĂƌŶ ĨƌŽŵ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ͕ ŝƚ ŝƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĞǀĞƌLJďŽĚLJ ĐĂŶ ƉůĂLJ Ă ƉĂƌƚ ŝŶ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ŚĂƌŵŽŶLJ͘ / ǁĂƐ ŽŶ ƉĂŶĞů Ăƚ Ă ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĞǀĞŶƚ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ĂŶĚ Ă LJŽƵŶŐ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ƐƚĂƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŵŽƌĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ƐƚĂŶĚ ƵƉ ĂƐ Ă ǀŽŝĐĞ ĨŽƌ ũƵƐƟĐĞ ůŝŬĞ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ƌ DĂƌƟŶ >ƵƚŚĞƌ <ŝŶŐ͘ Ɛ ĂĚŵŝƌĂďůĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚ ŝƐ ǁŚĂƚ ƌ <ŝŶŐ ǁĂƐ ĂĚǀŽĐĂƟŶŐ ŝƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĂŶLJŽŶĞ ĐĂŶ ďĞ Ă ĨŽƌĐĞ ĨŽƌ ŐŽŽĚ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ĂŶLJŽŶĞ ĐĂŶ ƐĞƌǀĞ ŚƵŵĂŶŝƚLJ͘ /ƚ ŝƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚŶĞƐƐ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ƚŽ ĞĂĐŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĂƚ ǁĞ ƐĞĞ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚŶĞƐƐ ŽĨ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ͘ ^Ž ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ŶŽǁ ƚŽ ƐŚŽǁĐĂƐĞ ǁŚĂƚ ŝƐ ďĞƐƚ ĂŶĚ ďƌŝůůŝĂŶƚ ĂďŽƵƚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ĂďŽƵƚ EŽƫŶŐŚĂŵ ʹ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ŝƚƐ ŽŶůLJ ǁŚĞŶ ŝƚ ŐĞƚƐ ĚĂƌŬ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ǁŚĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂƌƐ ĐŽŵĞ ŽƵƚ͊ <ĞĞƉ ƚŚĞ ĨĂŝƚŚ͊

Nottingham connected

www.ywwy.org info@ywwy.org 0115 845 7009 You wood, wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you in conjunction with Mojatu Foundation are collecting unwanted wooden furniture in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire area. We will work with young people to get work experience by getting old furniture and showing them how to refurbish them into brand new furniture and put them back to the market.

We will provide the furniture that will be used in the workshops, the trainers to aid the learning process as well as a web shop that will have links to the furniture that will be made.

We are appealing to sponsors who can donate to us furniture, people who would like to gain work experience from this project as well as potential buyers to buy furniture from the workshop and the web shop.

You wood like to help us, wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you?

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30 Arts & Culture

mojatu.com

ZANELE MUHOLI: SOMNYAMA NGONYAMA, HAIL THE DARK LIONESS – By Ashleigh Boadi & Angela Wathoni Zanele Muholi is a South African visual activist and photographer who was born in Umlazi, Durban and spent her life living in Johannesburg. She studied Advanced Photography in Johannesburg and completed an MFA: Documentary Media at Ryerson University which is in Toronto (2009).

In 2013, she also became an Honorary Professor at the University of Arts in Germany. Muholi co-founded the Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW) in 2002. This was an organisation which provided a safe place for black lesbian women to meet and socialize.

She combines her love for art and her passion for addressing social injustice to enlighten people about LGBTQ rights universally. Her work is usually dedicated to increasing the exposure of the black LGBTQI community and she also aims to document the African LGBTQI community so that future generation will have something to refer to.

In 2009, Muholi founded Inkanyiso which is a nonprofit organisation which utilized visual activism and advocated on behalf of the LGBTQI community. Her first solo exhibition in London presented her continuous self-portrait series Somnyama Ngonyama in over 60 photographs which embodies different characters.

Somnyama Ngonyama translates into English as: Hail, the Dark Lioness and Muholi uses her body as a canvas to confront race and the representation of black women in the media.

Muholi’s portraits are very direct when it comes to addressing human rights, social justice and the representation of the black body. She deliberately exaggerates the stereotypes and degrading attempts that have been made to represent the black body but Muholi stated that she is “Reclaiming [her] blackness, which [she feels] is continuously performed by the privileged other.” Additionally, she transforms ordinary, everyday objects into dramatic aesthetically pleasing props without discounting the prominent topic of politics in her portraits. Objects like rubber tyres, safety pins and protective goggles demonstrate different forms of exploitation and social brutality. Furthermore, objects like scouring pads and latex gloves highlight themes of gender identity and sexual politics. She astutely uses materials like plastic to emphasise environmental issues

such as excess waste and global warming.

Somnyama Ngonyama uses classical paintings, fashion photography and integrates this with contemporary identity politics. Muholi gives herself a darker complexion in her portraits in the aim to articulate the intricate representations of beauty and desire within society today. She affirms her cultural identity on her own terms as being black, female, queer and African.

She proudly states: “My reality is that I do not mimic being black; it is my skin, and the experience of being black is deeply entrenched in me. Just like our ancestors, we live as black people 365 days a year, and we should speak without fear.”

‘Somnyama Ngonyama presents a compelling and visionary mosaic of identities, an exquisite empire of selves. Inviting us into a multi-layered conversation, each photograph in the series, each visual inscription, each confrontational narrative depicts a self in profound dialogue with countless others: implicitly gendered, culturally complex and historically grounded black bodies.’ – Renée Mussai, Exhibition Curator http://autograph-abp.co.uk/exhibitions/zanele-muholi

Nottingham connected NOT BECAUSE

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POWER IN POETRY

Not because I'm black Doesn't I deal drugs, Or sell crack Don't mean I can dance, Or like rap Don't I'm thug, Nor I car jack Not because I'm black Don't mean I walk with a knife Got eyes on your wife Or you should be, Worried for you life Not because I'm black Don't mean I use slang's Talk, With a twang More likely, To be hang Or the member, Of a gang Not because I'm black Doesn't mean I smoke weeds Or incapable to lead If you cut me, Do I not bleed Not because I'm black Doesn't mean I'm a pimp Walk with a limp, Addicted to drink Do I look like a chimp Not because I'm black Don't mean I'm fake, Always late Or filled, With hate I've got a British accent mate Not because I'm black Doesn't means I'm African Don't mean I'm Jamaican, Means I'm human I say, not because I'm black Don't mean I like chicken, Have countless kids From endless women Doesn't mean I'm angry, Don't I'm lazy Don't mean It I'm crazy, It means Try your best, And get to know me

Mayor Lindsay

Power in poetry is a diverse mix of poets from around the globe, dedicated to raise the awareness of poetry it was designed to motivate inspire and create a platform for young artists and seasoned role models to capture our community audience using spoken words. Join us this october as we celebrate 6 years anniversary this event to be shared with families and friends.

For any more info please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to contact me on; Wiston Lindsay: 07961158666 Tamara: stillgotit@hotmail.co.uk or 07932948684

mojatu.com

32 Arts & Culture

HOW REFUGEES & ASYLUM SEEKERS MANAGE PRIVACY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

By Matt Voitgz

I’m a PhD student at the University of Nottingham, practicing anthropology.

I research culture – what people do. I do so by talking to people as I spend time with them.

often described, but difficult to define, though a commonly cited definition is ‘the right to be let alone’. As it relates to digital technologies like phones and Facebook, it often is applied to the control one has over one’s data. That is – if the messages one shares are read by others, how services like Facebook use what we post, or how these services are subject to surveillance.

I like the following description of privacy as the ability: y To discuss some things with certain people and some things with others. We don’t necessarily share the same things we would with our friends as with our doctors, and the ability to choose what to share helps us to be able to conduct our lives in different situations.

My research is about how refugees and asylum seekers in Europe manage privacy on social media like WhatsApp, Facebook, Viber, Imo, and Telegraph. I’ve been working with several local organizations, including Mojatu, who invited me to share my research.

This kind of research is important because often what people in one place think is ‘normal’ isn’t the same for people everywhere. Anyone who moves to a new country, of course, quickly finds this out – as I did when I moved to the UK to study from my home in America.

The challenges refugees and asylum seekers face when they move are particularly big. Refugees and asylum seekers move due to war and threats of violence. There are over 65 million displaced people worldwide today. International laws made to help them were written not long after World War II, and imagined situations where safety and threats were easy to define. If one nation was at war, the one next door had an obligation to shelter those who fled until it was safe for them to return.

The reality is that most refugees and asylum seekers will spend years away from home. Many will travel multiple times over many years - for example, moving from Eritrea to Sudan to Libya and onward through Europe, never exactly knowing where the destination might be.

Through this journey, what ‘home’ is can be a challenging question. People move to new places after already spending months or years abroad. News of a changed homeland reaches them. Asylum seekers start new lives, make new friends, but still – through digital technology – stay in touch with friends and family back home. How they stay in touch is where my research comes in.

Presently, researchers and designers who make and study technology have many concerns around ‘privacy.’ The topic is

y To advocate for ourselves politically. That is, we might attend political rallies or express ourselves in a democratic process without fear that the government or businesses will watch us closely and use knowledge of our participation against us. y To take a break from social pressures. We can go to our homes and relax.

Yet the ideal of the ‘home’ one could be ‘let alone’ in is complicated by digital technologies, and may not reflect the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. These ideas about privacy are based around a certain baseline conception that people have or want a particular kind of ‘home’ – one that in reality, few people have. There is, for example, little in descriptions of privacy that talk about how families who live together negotiate space – who, for example, gets to choose what channel is on television.

One’s social circle changes dramatically when one travels, and how to ‘present’ oneself to multiple people involves negotiating different cultures. Yet the risks and benefits of information management may also be higher for refugees and asylum seekers. For example, a Facebook photo may support evidence in an asylum claim by showing the life one has led, or political participation that has led to danger. Yet, the public display of such information – as evidence of one’s life, journeys, and activities – may also create more danger for one’s family abroad. These challenges come amid the same everyday messaging with family and friends that many people do worldwide.

The goal of this research is to understand challenges like these in more detail – and I hope to report some of the findings back in a later issue of this magazine!

If you would be interested in talking to participate in my research, please email matt.voigts@nottingham.ac.uk, or 07541 488 296 for text or WhatsApp

Nottingham connected

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MOTHER & DAUGHTER WIN AWARDS Edited by Angela Wathoni Veronica Pickering, a Deputy Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire, was presented with the lifetime achievement award at Nottingham Post Women in Business Awards by Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire Sir John Peace, who founded Experian and is chairman of the Midlands Engine. Her daughter Rosea Poynter won the new business of the year award. She has a bakehouse at 631-633 Mansfield Rd, Nottingham NG5 2FX Born in Kenya, she has spent her working life helping others, taking her social work from Nottinghamshire and London’s East End to the fringes of African war zones to secure the safety of children.

She said: “There’s so many things I’m passionate about - primarily about families, and my family is really important to me. I’m also passionate about getting people to work together because that’s how we solve problems.”

The other 11 categories, which spanned from apprentice of the year to inspirational woman of the year, featured 33 shortlisted individuals.

Guests included Boots managing director and senior vice-president Elizabeth Fagan, Mansfield Town CEO Carolyn Radford, the Apprentice stars of 2016 and 2017, Fran Bishop and Elizabeth McKenna, I Believe in Miracles director Jonny Owen and Nottingham Forest CEO Nicholas Randall.

Photos copyright - Nottingham Post

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34 Health & Food

11 foods that can cause heartburn - By: Ashleigh Boadi Heartburn (also known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease) is usually described as an unpleasant burning sensation in the lower chest area. Heartburn occurs when stomach acid finds its way into the oesophagus which is the tube which delivers food to your stomach.

In normal cases, stomach acid should not be able to escape into the oesophagus due to the lower oesophageal sphincter; which acts as a barrier that only opens when you swallow or burp. However, in the case of people who experience heart burn, their lower oesophageal sphincter muscle is weakened which increases the chances of stomach acid escaping into the oesophagus.

HIGH-FAT FOODS Foods with large amounts of fat usually cause heartburn; this also includes healthy foods such as avocados and nuts, these high fat foods essentially cause heartburn in 2 ways. Firstly, they can cause the relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter, this will allow stomach acid to escape into the oesophagus which therefore causes heartburn. Secondly, these foods trigger the release of the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). The release of this hormone also relaxes the muscle barrier and encourages food to remain in the stomach for a longer period of time so that it can be digested better which consequently increases the risk of acid reflux and heartburn Bottom Line: High-fat foods can cause heartburn due to the relaxing of the lower oesophageal sphincter (barrier between oesophagus and stomach).

Additionally, the consummation of these foods release the hormone CCK which also relaxes this barrier and allows food to remain in the stomach for longer increases the chances of heartburn.

SALT Salt and salty foods may put you at risk of heartburn because it may increase reflux. A study showed that people who added salt to their meals had a 70% higher risk of reflux than those who never added salt.

The study also found that people who ate salty food at least 3 times a week had a 50% chance of having a reflux than those who never ate salted foods.

Bottom Line: Consuming table salt and salty foods can increase your chances of heartburn.

MINT The common consensus about mints is that they soothe the digestive system but one study found that high doses of spearmint were linked with acid reflux symptoms which cause heartburn by irritating the

lining of the oesophagus. An additional study which assess over 500 people concluded that those who consumed peppermint tea on a daily basis had twice the risk of heartburn. However, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a widespread of evidence that links mint and heartburn together.

Bottom Line: Peppermint and spearmint may cause heartburn although there is not a large amount of evidence to support this.

CITRUS JUICES Citrus juices may trigger heartburn symptoms, a study of 382 people with heartburn deduced that 67% of participants experienced heartburn after consuming orange juice. Furthermore, an additional study which assess 400 people who experienced heartburn; found out that 73% experienced heartburn after drinking orange or grapefruit juice. Hence, the amount of acid in citrus juices may cause heartburn symptoms.

Although, it is not explicit how citrus juices actually cause heartburn.

Bottom Line: Citrus Juices like orange and grapefruit are likely to cause heartburn however it is unclear how this process occurs.

MILK Milk is often thought to alleviate heartburnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; instead, specifically whole milk increases stomach acid which is a risk factor for heartburn. A study of around 400 people was conducted and around on 38% people reported heartburn symptoms.

Scientists have argued that it is the fat content of the milk that causes heartburn.

Bottom Line: whole milk can cause heart burn due to the fat content CHOCOLATE Similar to high-fat foods, chocolate can also relax the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) which allows stomach

Berkshire connected acid to escape into the oesophagus and cause heartburn.

Moreover, chocolate is made out of coca which contains serotonin which, again, relaxes the oesophageal sphincter muscle. Finally, chocolate contains compounds of theobromine and caffeine which additionally causes the relaxation of the sphincter muscle.

Bottom Line: Chocolate contains a high amount of fat, serotonin and other naturally occurring compounds which cause the relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter which results in heartburn.

SPICY FOODS Spicy foods contain capsaicin which may slow down the rate of digestion. This means that food will remain in the stomach for a longer period of time which increases the chances of heartburn. A study showed that consuming chili powder slowed down the rate of digestion. Also, spicy foods can irritate an already inflamed oesophagus which worsens heartburn symptoms.

Bottom Line: The compound capsaicin which is found in spicy foods slows down the rate of digestion and spicy foods can irritate the oesophagus which can worsen symptoms of heartburn.

ONIONS Onions, especially raw onions, are a typical trigger of heartburn as the cause the LES to relax which leads to acid reflux and symptoms of heartburn. In one study, people with heartburn were given a plain hamburger to eat in one day. They also had to eat an identical burger with onions on another day. The burger with onions drastically worsened their heartburn symptoms compared to the burger with no onions. Onions also have a high sources of fermentable fibre which may cause belching (burping) which can intensify acid reflux symptoms.

Bottom Line: Onions relax the LES which cause acid reflux and heartburn symptoms. Furthermore, onion have high amounts of fermentable fibre which promotes acid reflux symptoms.

ALCOHOL Regular to excessive alcohol use may cause heartburn symptoms in multiple ways. It can relax the LES which triggers heartburn. Additionally, wine and beer can increase the presence of stomach acid in the stomach which can increase the risk of heartburn. Finally, alcohol can damage the lining of the oesophagus which eventually makes it more sensitive to stomach acid.

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Bottom Line: Alcohol may relax LES, increase stomach acid and damage the lining of the oesophagus.

These are all determinants that increase the chances of heartburn.

COFFEE The caffeine within coffee is likely to cause people to experience heartburn as it relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter. Some studies however have considered the effects of caffeine alone and discovered that it may not trigger heartburn symptoms; if these results are true, then other compounds found in coffee are to blame for heartburn symptoms. Nonetheless, other studies have not found a link between coffee and reflux symptoms. Overall, it comes down to your own experience, if coffee gives you heartburn then it is highly advised that you avoid it, if not, then there is no reason for you to stop consumption.

Bottom Line: Coffee causes some people to experience heartburn because of the ability of caffeine to relax the lower oesophageal sphincter. Although, they is insufficient evidence to support the idea that coffee intake and heartburn are strongly correlated.

SODAS AND CARBONATED BEVERAGES Research shows that fizzy drinks relax the muscle barrier between the stomach and the oesophagus and also increase the acidity of the stomach acid.

These increase the chances of heartburn. One study involved scientists observing the sleeping patterns of over 15,000 people and found that approximately 25% experienced heartburn during the night time.

A further study also found similar results about night-time heartburn being strongly correlated to drinking carbonate drinks. Finally, another study discovered that people who consumed carbonated drinks had a 69% greater chance of developing reflux symptoms.

Bottom Line: Soda may cause heartburn as it relaxes the lower oesophageal sphincter which makes it easier for stomach acid to reach the oesophagus.

CONCLUSION Many foods cause heartburn by relaxing the lower oesophageal sphincter. If you experience heartburn on a regular basis then it would be advised that you keep food diary or try and keep some of these foods out of your diet.

By Ryan Raman, MS, RD (NZ) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Originally published in Authority Nutrition - www.healthline.com

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36 Health & Food

30 FOODS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE SUPER HEALTHY Edited by Angela Wathoni For you to be able to achieve optimum health, many health practitioners’ advice loading up on superfoods. A superfood is “a food that is rich in compounds, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients considered beneficial to a person’s health.”

Superfoods bring you other wonderful health benefits such as helping you maintain a healthy heart, slow down aging, prevent oxidative stress and just basically improving your overall health.

Here’s a list of the most nutrientdense superfoods you may want to include in your next grocery list.

1. Watercress

3. Chard

Chard is easily one of the best and most popular vegetables around.

It can boost one’s brain function, strengthen one’s bones, and help regulate blood circulation. It can also help regulate one’s blood sugar because of its syringic acid content.

Bottom line: chard is a sweet treat for your health.

4. Beet Greens

Watercress ranks at the top of the nutrition density chart with an amazingly perfect score of 100.

This superfood fights against DNA breakdown and blood cell damage.

Bottom line: Watercress can particularly suppress breast cancer cells because of the compound phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which has significant anticancer properties.

2. Chinese Cabbage

Beet greens have very low caloric content, as they have low fat and no cholesterol. It belongs in the top 5 most nutrient-dense foods in the world, according to a research done at William Paterson.

6. Chicory

Chicory contains plenty of essential micronutrients such as vitamins A and K. It is also both a digestive and diuretic, although it doesn’t have caffeine. In fact, Bottom line: you’ll get a happy tummy with chicory because it can support probiotics as it contains inulin, a prebiotic that is vital for your gut health.

7. Green Leaf Lettuce Green Leaf lettuce contains high amounts of vitamins A, C, K, and B vitamins. It can significantly aid brain function as it is rich in dietary nitrate, which helps prevent deterioration of brain cells.

Bottom line: Leaf lettuce has sleepinducing properties and analgesic properties, which means it can help relieve pain.

8. Parsley

Bottom line: Beet greens are the leafy parts of the beet plant while the fleshy part at the roots are called beetroots.

5. Spinach

This veggie has low sodium content, meaning it can help regulate your blood pressure. It can also fight anaemia and fatigue because it has a high iron content.

Spinach is low in fat and cholesterol.

Spinach can efficiently protect the body from harmful free radicals. These “free radicals” are among the top causes of various health problems today.

Bottom line: Chinese cabbage is rich in antioxidants, which can boost eye health and provide you with healthy, glowing skin.

Bottom line: Cooked spinach has more nutrients than raw ones because cooked spinach contains a bit more iron and vitamins A, K, B2, and B6.

Parsley is one superfood that is very rich in vitamins K (with 554%) and A. In addition, it also contains dietary fibre and the minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron. In fact, it contains more iron than spinach.

Bottom line: Parsley promotes kidney health. It also helps relieve rheumatoid arthritis, prevents diabetes, promotes better digestion, and it is even a natural breath freshener.

Nottingham connected 9. Alfalfa

12. Turnip Greens Turnip greens is high in antioxidant content, particularly glucosinolate. They are also high in vitamins A, B6, C, and E.

Alfalfa is high in protein, amino acids, & essential vitamins & minerals.

Bottom line: Alfalfa can lower cholesterol levels, ease menopause symptoms, helps with clotting and thus prevent excessive bleeding, helps with kidney issues, and improves digestion.

Bottom line: Turnip greens, not only fight cancer, but also improve eyesight, prevent heart diseases, and help maintain strong bones.

13. Mustard Greens

Mustard greens offer an extra kick with its peppery flavour. But more than that, it is rich in antioxidants, which acts as a detoxifier.

Bottom line: Romaine lettuce is very low in calories, but is high in water content. In addition to that, it is also rich in fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate, all of which are great for boosting heart health.

11. Collard Greens

of dietary fibre, thiamine, pantothenic acid, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, riboflavin, folate, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K. Bottom line: Chives protect you from mouth and lung cancers, prevent neural tube defects in newborns, soothe upset stomachs, and lower blood pressure.

16. Kale

Bottom line: It is still a highly nutritious superfood compared to other fruits and vegetables.

17. Chlorella

Bottom line: Mustard greens are great for pregnancy because they are very rich in vitamin K, which helps blood to clot.

14. Wheatgrass Wheatgrass boasts a ton of other micronutrients that are highly beneficial for the body.

It is rich in chlorophyll, along with antioxidants, amino acids, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Bottom line: Wheatgrass can help you lose weight the healthy way, have good digestion, deal with stress and fatigue, and have healthier skin.

15. Chives

Chlorella is a single-celled freshwater alga that boasts a ton of micronutrients. It has plenty of essential fatty acids, phytonutrients, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, vitamins, and minerals.

Bottom line: Chlorella can boost the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immune system, protect and improve eyesight, help with gastrointestinal issues, relieve the effects of radiation and chemotherapy, and fully detoxify the body.v 18. Greek Yogurt

Collard Greens has anti-cancer properties. They are also rich in manganese, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, K. Not only does it have tons of antioxidants, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Bottom line: Collard Greens doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just detoxify the body of toxins and free radicals but it can also relieve all sorts of inflammation.

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Kale can effectively fight inflammation, naturally detoxify the body, promote heart health, promote brain development in new-borns, improve vision, and help prevent certain cancers

10. Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce, has analgesic properties, which effectively relieves pain.

Health & Food

Yogurts are probiotics, which means that each serving aids your digestion. It can even be a healthy substitute for mayonnaise, cream cheese, and sour cream.

The chive is an herb that is very low in calories, cholesterol, and sodium, but high in nutrients.

They contain high amounts

Bottom line: yogurt is very rich in calcium, giving women more than their recommended daily need. It also contains more protein than regular yogurts.

mojatu.com

38 Health & Food 19. Blueberries

23. Flaxseed

27. Apples

Flaxseed is rich in lignans, fibre, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Apples are a very good source of fibre, and they contain plenty of antioxidants.

Bottom line: It can prevent heart diseases, combat cancer, improve skin conditions, and effectively help with gastrointestinal issues.

Blueberries are a good source of vitamins C and K as well as manganese. They also have good carbs and dietary fibre. And they have the antioxidants such as anthocyanins, quercetin, and myricetin.

Bottom line: Blueberries reduce the risk of heart diseases, helps lower blood pressure, and helps prevent diabetes and certain cancers.

20. Acai Berries The acai berry has numerous medicinal properties and has been used by natives in South America since ancient times.

24. Chia Seeds

28. Lemons

Chia not only do they aid in weight loss by removing excess water from your body, chia seeds can also prevent you from having tartar and bad breath with its calcium and zinc.

Bottom line: Chia seeds are a good source of protein and fibre.

25. Bee Pollen

Bottom line: It improves heart health, stimulates weight loss, helps with digestion, and boosts brain function 21. Dark Chocolate Dark Chocolate is rich in flavonoids that can help lower blood pressure and regulate blood circulation in the body. On top of that, Bottom line: Dark chocolate promotes heart health, boosts brain function, and reduces the risk of several types of cancer.

22. Salmon

Bottom line: Apples can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and asthma attacks, and they can even improve one’s memory.

Lemons are rich in vitamin C. They are best for aiding one’s digestion, shedding off pounds, and even boosting one’s energy. It can also treat internal bleeding because of its antiseptic and coagulant properties.

Bottom line: Lemon water is best when you add cucumbers and mint leaves to it. It can help you cleanse your bellies as well as achieve that summer bod you’ve always wanted.

29. Avocados

Bee pollen is officially a medicine.

It contains protein, phenolic compounds, good carbohydrates, and a ton of vitamins and minerals.

Bottom line: Bee pollen can increase energy levels, relieve stress, help with infertility troubles, promote faster wound healing, and relieve certain allergies.

Avocados are known to have hearthealthy monounsaturated fats. The potassium in it can help you maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Bottom line: Avocados can also help in loosing weight because it is very much loaded with fibre.

30. Watermelon

26. Eggs

Salmon can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Bottom line: Salmon has antiinflammatory properties and it can boost your skin’s natural protective shield against the damaging effects of UV rays.

Eggs can help you lose weight. It has no carbs and no sugar. In fact, it has a glycaemic index of zero, which means it can’t affect your blood sugar levels. And it takes an average of about four hours to digest an entire egg.

Bottom line: Eggs are rich in nutrients such as amino acids, choline, vitamin D, and a whole lot more.

Watermelons have a good number of electrolytes, which can protect you from heat stroke.

Bottom line: Watermelons contain lycopene which is an antioxidant that promotes heart and eye health, keeps bones strong, boosts brain function, and prevents various cancers.

Nottingham connected

Classifieds

39

FREE

English Language & Community Cohesion Initiative

Preparation

English Language Courses * CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH COURSE

WHEN: 2018

DRIVING THEORY & HAZARD PERCEPTIONS With support for Non-English Speakers

AT: Multiple venues

CERTIFICATES AWARDED AFTER TRAINING Areas to be Covered

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Registration and more information@

MOJATU OFFICE 167 Alfreton Rd, Nottingham NG7 3JR Phone: 0115 845 7009 email: info@mojatufoundation.org www.mojatufoundation.org Follow us / Connect with us: @mojatu.foundation

@ mojatuf

Support for Arabic & African Language Speakers available

18 Apr - 6 Jun 20 Apr – 8 Jun 23 May - 11 Jul 24 May - 12Jul

4-6pm 1-3pm 1-2.30pm 1-2.30pm

(City Centre) (International Development Foundation, Northgate) (PATRA Inc, Lenton Boulevard) (PATRA Inc, Lenton Boulevard)

REGISTRATION & MORE INFO: Mojatu Foundation | 167 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, NG7 3JR Eleftheria Ktenas | 07929132553 | 0115 8457 009 | eleftheria@mojatu.com To secure your space, you must pay £10 deposit to Ruksanna, which is refundable upon attendance of 4 classes. All bookings MUST be done at least 2 weeks before the classes start.

@mojatu_foundation

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PATRA INCORPORATING ACDA ENRICHING LIVES, EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

Passport to Success Programme

JOB VACANCIES For more information contact: 0115 942 2440 info@patraeastmidlands.co.uk www.patraeastmidlands.co.uk PATRA Incorporating ACDA Marcus Garvey Centre Lenton Boulevard Nottingham NG7 2BY Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 applies

Earn £9000 per year plus training if aged 16 – 18 Have you recently left school or college and are aged 16 – 18?

How would you like to earn £750 a month (take home) and the chance to study for an on-the-job qualification?

If so, PATRA might have the right job for you as we have a number of administrative vacancies.

If you are from the BME community and want a job look no further than PATRA Incorporating ACDA, because we are offering one-year placements in business administration at Nottingham City Council.

As well as working you will be expected to undertake on-the-job training that will enable you to obtain a qualification at NVQ Level 1 or 2.

As part of the process to become a PATRA trainee you will be required to go through an assessment which tests your literacy, numeracy and IT skills.

This is a great opportunity to gain the skills you’ve always wanted and earn £9000 a year at the same time.

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Nottingham connected

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42 Education & Career

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East Midlands residents encouraged to use NHS 111 service to avoid unnecessary A&E visits It is estimated that half a million (504,103) people in the East Midlands go to A&E each year who could have been helped by NHS 111 East Midlands residents are being urged to avoid unnecessary trips to A&E by getting help from an enhanced NHS 111 service, which now offers a wider range of clinical services in the Midlands than ever before. This includes direct access to advice from GPs, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and specialists in mental health, cancer and child health.

Victoria Omololu shares her experience of using NHS 111: “I called NHS 111 when I realised my son had drank washing up liquid. I knew I needed urgent, professional advice but knew it wasn’t life threatening enough to call 999. The call handler asked a series of questions to assess his state. As a first time mum at that point, their advice really helped to reassure me and settle my nerves. They told me to keep any eye and what to do if his condition worsened. I’d definitely call NHS 111 again if I have any urgent medical concerns.”

NHS 111 is a free service available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. For further information about NHS 111, please visit www.nhs.uk/111

Dr Raphael Olaiya, Senior House Officer medical doctor NHS Nottingham City Hospital said: “NHS 111 in the Midlands can now offer patients an even wider range of medical advice direct from pharmacists, GPs, nurses and mental health specialists who work hand in hand with call handlers.

“We want to help people understand how NHS 111 can help them and reduce unnecessary trips to A&E, which will help our hospitals. I know that patients want high quality clinical advice, close to their home from trained professionals and this is what they can get from NHS 111.”

DR OLAIYA SHARES 5 THINGS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT NHS 111 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s recently been enhanced and can now offer clinical advice, assessment and direction to the most appropriate healthcare service.

Depending on the situation, the NHS 111 team can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist or even a GP, and can arrange face-to-face appointments if they think you need one.

NHS 111 is staffed by fully trained advisors who can assess if you need an ambulance, and if you do, one will be sent immediately.

NHS 111 has a confidential interpreter service available in many languages.

If you need a prescription, the service can organise to have it available for pick up at a convenient local location for you.

Nottingham connected

Education & Career

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NEW BIRKBECK INITIATIVE PROVIDES LIFE-CHANGING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS Twenty asylum seekers from troubled places around the world joined Birkbeck at the start of the new academic year thanks to the Compass Project, a ground-breaking initiative that provided fullyfunded places for them to study undergraduate or postgraduate certificate courses of their choice.

higher education in the UK – their immigration status means that as well as being unable to work, they are considered international students and therefore have to pay tuition fees at a much higher rate. Without the support of the Compass Project, they are not eligible for support from the Student Loans Company and have no financial backing to pay tuition fees or maintenance.

Gloria Madyira, who came to the UK from Zimbabwe, said: “The Compass Project is a chance to have a brighter future and accomplish my dreams. If I am successful in passing my course, I hope to pursue a career as a nurse.

I would like to thank the Compass Project for their help on behalf of all asylum seekers, including myself.”

Pictured left: Gloria Madyira, who came from Zimbabwe to study at Birkbeck.

A ground-breaking initiative at Birkbeck has allowed 20 asylum seekers from troubled places around the world to begin potentially life-changing studies, in what is believed to be the first opportunity of its scale in the United Kingdom.

The Compass Project, pioneered by Birkbeck’s Widening Access team alongside a number of organisations and sponsors, has provided fully-funded places to a group of people seeking asylum, on undergraduate or postgraduate certificate courses of their choice.

The group includes people from war-torn countries and oppressive regimes including Syria, Iran, Russia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The students have undertaken courses in politics, data science, economics, healthcare, international development, law, international security and global governance, and legal methods.

The aim of the Compass Project is to help participants acquire a valuable nationally and internationallyrecognised qualification that provides a foundation for further study, or for joining the workforce. The students are fully supported by academic mentors who will guide them through their studies and help them adapt to the British higher education system.

Among those who began their studies this month, Iranian activist Aghil Maniavi said the opportunity to embark on the Introduction to Politics course changed his life: “My residency status means I am not allowed to work, which means I couldn’t afford the fees on my own.

I wouldn’t be able to enter higher education without this award – it’s the biggest opportunity I’ve ever had.”

Asylum seekers face a number of hurdles accessing

Generous funding from partners and trusts like The Foundation; the charitable arm of consulting firm AlixPartners, international law firm Allen and Overy and Santander covered outreach activities and academic support for the students, while donations from the college’s alumni and The Blanes Trust covered living cost bursaries. The students were supported well before they landed places with help in navigating the academic system and preparing their applications. A range of specialist organisations such as Article 26 and Student Access for Refugees (STAR) helped to prepare the ground for the project and raise awareness alongside the college’s Widening Access and Outreach team.

Birkbeck’s Head of Widening Access, Caroline McDonald, said: “This will make a real difference to a vulnerable group of people who have had to contend with huge upheavals and traumas in their lives.

Through education they can begin to rebuild their lives – it will open up new opportunities and have a positive impact on the students and their families, and will bring benefits for society as a whole. “For many, their studies have been disrupted or for various reasons they have not had the chance to continue their education, despite being bright and eager to learn.”

Professor David Latchman CBE, Master of Birkbeck, said: “The College has a long tradition of working with vulnerable people and refugees. This project is in keeping with our founder George Birkbeck’s original mission almost 200 years ago: to bring education to every Londoner who wants to better themselves, regardless of means or background.”

The launch of the project comes at a time when Birkbeck has seen enrolment for full-time undergraduate degrees rise by 3% year on year. Applications for the College’s range of courses overall have risen by 8%.

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KEN SAMSON & BASEMENT STUDIO

By Angela Wathoni Super-producer Ken Samson has stamped his indelible imprint on the music scene lately. His production has helped upcoming hits for artists such as Jazzie Martian, Oliver Davis and Daniel Ibinimion, among many others.

Respected beyond the genres of urban and hip-hop music, Ken Samson whose musical influences cross cultural lines, has also been KEN SAMSON sought by other upcoming artists in Nottingham and surrounding areas. With the help of his fellow mates such as Adnan Al Tauqui, they have recently released hits such as “Down for me w/Yxngz” and “Disguise My Love w/ Oliver Davis”. Ken Samson’s trademark sound has spawned numerous imitators— yet he has always remained the acknowledged originator.

one of the most glorious debuts we have ever heard.

Electric, interesting, and so, so good. One-minute you’re hearing the smoothest nineties vibes since Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo, next you’ve got something banging pop r’n’b.

He is running his own studio on Alfreton Road: Basement Studios. He’s just put out his first EP and its

For more information, please visit: https://soundcloud.com/kensamson

Ken Samson’s genre breaking is changed popular music today, and he takes pride in his success at staying ahead of the curve with his originality and experimentation. Confident and charismatic, his goal is still to blow the listener’s mind and make them move to the beat.

“You can accomplish anything you put your mind to if you stay persistent and disciplined,” explains the driven and dedicated Ken Samson, an innovator of sound who continues to set popular tastes while adventurously expanding his musical palette.

Nottingham connected

Education & Career

FEARLESS YOUTH ASSOCIATION (FYA) & BASEMENT STUDIO (BS)

By Esther Muthoni Unlike the traditional music industry structure where aspiring artists must go through record labels to access the mainstream, there is a fast-growing internet niche culture where bedroom rappers can communicate directly with the consumer thanks to platforms such as Soundcloud, turning the old music industry structure obsolete. However, due to the easy access nature of these platforms there has been an over saturation of content. FYA and BS role is to discover and filter out the best upcoming talent and pick out the hidden gems in our local communities and provide a platform which isn’t as dense.

Currently there are no youth led contemporary radio stations in Nottingham hence the gap in the market we are filling.

Basement Radio is an online radio station which aims to give a platform for the best up and coming midlands DJs, Presenters and Artists to showcase contemporary music from genres such as Trap, R&B and Electronic Music (This is what we like to call a “New Wave Music Culture”) and relevant talk shows, interviews and press releases that cover a wide range of topics from Music News on Contemporary Music Culture to Comedy Skits and Football Talk Shows.

Our main target audience will be young people aged 16 - 24 but will not be limited to this group.

FYA is a young people led community group in Nottingham which was started in Dec 2016 where we saw the need of having a community group to help our fellow youth in tackling gang and knife crime and increase the police youth relationship. We’ve done a couple of events with the help of Nottingham city council, Mojatu Foundation and Selfhelp UK. Our achievements are getting to open the basement studio which is currently run by recording artists, booking sessions and coming to record their songs on which the beats are generated by one of our best producer, Ken Samson.

Moreover, we have done training sessions where we got a group of local youth who did a 4-week training of how to become trainers and inviting more youth to join our cause.

fyaonline.com fya_notts Fya Notts FYA_Notts Contact Number: 01157846670 Esther 07490037643

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Inmojatu vita to j tion oin

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WHY JOIN US

YOUR IMPACT

As a member, you will help us build inclusive, healthy resilient communities that are better able to overcome their social, environmental economic and challenges.

As a member, you will help us build inclusive, healthy and resilient communities that are better able to overcome their social, environmental economic and challenges.

Farmeco brings together like-minded people to meet the following aims and objectives being: • Widen involvement in agroforestry and environmental matters • Development of an economically sustainable organisation • Increase accessibility to healthier fresh food produce • Enhance community participation and engagement • Community capacity building

You will have an opportunity to help FCC ensure farming is: • Economically viable • A custodian of the countryside • Helping to reduce the carbon foot print • Providing increased opportunities for training and learning • Helping grow people and for life

@ farmecoNG13 @ farmecodavid @ fccnotts

n i Jo VISIT THE FARM AT:

Farmeco Community Care Limited, Home Farm, off Lodge Lane, Screveton, Nottingham, NG13 8JL Contact David Rose M: 07855252151 E: david@farmeco.co.uk | W: www.farmeco.co.uk

Nottingham connected category Kenyan Maasai Cricket Team in Nottingham

Mojatu Foundation and other partners aim to bring the Maasai Cricket Warriors from Kenya to the UK between 16th August and 1st September 2018.

The Maasai people of East Africa are globally famous for their beautiful culture, attire, striking physical features and a strong urge to maintain their traditional way of life, unlike most other communities. However, in a strongly male dominated community like the Maasai, there are some serious social injustices faced by girls and women.

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participation in other local events, public lectures, Warriors Film Screening among other events. During events and activities, there will be consistent themed messages on FGM, modern slavery and hate crime.

OBJECTIVES OF THE VISIT To bring a team or representatives of the Maasai Cricket Warriors to Nottingham/UK to work with the organising partners in the next season to: ϭ͘ Facilitate cultural exchange and celebration through sports and engaging local cricket clubs

Formed in 2009, the Maasai Warriors Cricket team are now using their fame and love for the cricket game as an inspiration to educate their community and give young people a sense of belonging, support and hope. They bowl and bat in their traditional clothing - bloodred ‘shukas’ and bright, beaded necklaces.

They visit schools to teach cricket basics to girls and boys thus supporting more young people to play cricket while helping them to keep active, celebrate their culture through arts & music and champion women’s rights especially on the eradication of forced/child marriage and FGM. They have also played internationally including in the UK, Australia and South Africa.

Ϯ͘ Bring new and emerging communities and local communities together while facilitating community cohesion and social integration

The two weeks tour will consist of different events and activities including cricket sessions both locally and outside Nottingham, playing with community groups, Arts and Culture exhibition, African Farm Festival and

ϴ͘ Bringing regional and national cricketers and lovers of cricket together

ϯ͘ Raise awareness of social injustices affecting our communities ϰ͘ Encourage physical health and mental fitness through sports ϱ͘ Create a platform for individual development for those interested in cricket ϲ͘ Get more people active through participating ϳ͘ Encourage more participation in cricket as a game for both males and females especially among new and emerging communities

ϵ͘ Strengthen and promote the work of all the partners involved

48 category THE

mojatu.com MAASAI WARRIORS ARE COMING

& Partners THE K U D N GRA KET CRIC R TOU

Passionate about their culture, cricket, conservation, women’s rights and social justice, be ready for: • • • •

16th Aug1st Sept 2018

Cricket Games Public Lectures Music & Fashion Nights Dancing with the famous MAASAI jumping Warriors!

• Promoting cricket game • Tackling modern slavery • Ending female genital mutilation • Community engagement & integration

Confirmed Games & Partners

Attenborough Cricket Club

@mojatu.foundation

@MojatuF

@mojatu_foundation

info@mojatufoundation.org | +44 115 8457 009