About life in Norwich with comments on health services and community church life A story as told by our volunteer Frances Middleton
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his is a short recount of the life experience of two couples Mrs. Anna Machosi & Mr. Kiza Mnena, and Mrs. Mwajuma Neema & Mr. Bayombe who were resettled in Norfolk. This story starts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, many years ago, when Anna and Kiza, Byaombe and Mwajuma were young, and lived in their traditional villages, happy in the lives that they all still remember, after so much time, and so many changes. The next scene is in Tanzania, where they were living as refugees after fleeing from their country and culture. In the camp, Kiza was a plumber and Byombe a medical practitioner while Anna and Mwajuma looked after the children. Then came the biggest change of all when they were offered a new life in the UK through the Gateway Resettlement Programme to come and live in Norwich. Both families are well settled now; the children are in school and college and they all are part of the family at Chapelfield Methodist Church.
They are at home in the Larkman area, and find their neighbours friendly and helpful. This was not so in the beginning for Anna and Kiza, who suffered annoyance and racial abuse from their first neighbours. However, after help from the police and the County Council, they were rehoused and their new neighbour babysits and gives them eggs! Anna and Mwajuma have African friends who were settled in the North of UK in Bradford and Manchester, and they feel that the system in Norwich, of spreading refugee families across the city, is better than elsewhere, where all the families are in one area. “Norwich is a lovely place to live” say the two women. It is truly multicultural. The Bridge Plus has also been a source of help and friendship. Meeting and talking, and eating, at the community meals has been good. Anna and Mwajuma have both had babies since they moved here, in fact Anna has had two! Amisa arrived just 2 months ago. So they are well able to judge the local maternity services. They are very happy with everyone who helped with their babies. There was a translator available in the hospital when the need arose, and Mwajuma’s doctor actually spoke a little Swahili! Kiza remembers the births of his “British” daughters”, because he was able to be present when they arrived –
something that would never have happened in Africa, where of course, child-birth mainly a women’s work! He has a part-time job at Aviva, thanks to help from the Job Centre Plus, and uses the city-centre church car-park to get to work – something his work-mates are very envious of! All the families are an important part of the life of Chapelfield Church. The children and teenagers are active in the Junior Church, and the adults all say they feel very at home there. The Gateway Assimilation groups were held here, and the Bible and Prayer Group still meets. Byaombe made the decision that the Methodist tradition would be his family’s new place of worship, and he leads the African Fellowship on Thursdays. Anna specially wanted an English church so that she could improve her language skills, and she says that the church is “number one” for her – a place where people look after you, and ask about you “The church cares!” In our services, we are very lucky to hear African music and songs regularly. Last month the youth group, which is largely African, made a huge impression on the congregation with a terrific Rap, on the parable of the wise and foolish men. So a good news story of two families who are happily living in our midst – adding their bright colours to our city’s rainbow community!
CONGOLESE COMMUNITY CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY ON SATURDAY 5TH JULY 2014 THE NORWICH CONGOLESE COMMUNITY GROUP celebrated the Congolese Independence day at the Chapelfield Methodist Church which saw a good turnout. The current chair of the group Mr. Odon, thanked all present as encouraged his community members to take an active role in community life.
B-Me VOICES
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