Sahara Saheli

Sahara Saheli

Sahara Saheli

by Megan Gibbard collabration with Kitz, Claire and the Sahara Saheli Group

Sahara-Saheli is a multicultural women’s group. This group was created for the ethnic minorities living in Cheltenham.

The Community Centre where the Sahara Saheli group meet

The group Sahara Saheli has brough different women for all over the world together. They meet and discuss their different cultures despite of language and cultural barriers.

The different Asian communities within the group include; Gujerati, Bangladeshi, Pakastani, Phillipino and English women who have experience with the culture.

Kitz

Kitz is orignally from the philippines.

She moved to England when she was 40.

“I started working as an assistant teacher in my 20s in the Philippines (1968). I then got promoted to a teacher; teaching English and Maths. I decided that I wanted to go the city and try and find a better job.

I worked part time in services and did my masters degree during 1976-79. I then got offered a job in the National Economic and Development Authority.�

In the Philippines with her work colleagues

“In 1988 I visited my sister who was living in Scotland at the time; because she was getting married. After my first holiday in Scotland I wanted to return and because I had a high paying job I was able to afford it.

My cousin was living in Northumberland and introduced me to my husband. If it was meant to be it was meant to be. So I left the Philippines to marry my husband�

Kitz visiting her Sister in Scotland

“One night I told myself that ‘it would be nice if I had someone here to talk to and fall asleep to’ and that was the reason why I got married. He came at the right time. So we got married in November, 1991.

My marriage was a beautiful marriage.

Sadly, it ended 14 years after, in 2005, where he died from a heart attack. After 3 years of being a widow I met another man, and had a relationship.

Sadly, he died after 3 years.”

Kitz with her late husband and sister

Kitz with her late husband

Kitz in Cardiff

“I’m still alive and I tend to die here. My husband is buried in the cemetry in Cheltenham and Intend to be burried beside him.�

Claire

Claire is a member of the Sahra Saheli group.

Claire’s grandparents house where she stayed as a young child

Claire’s identity card in Malaya

“My father was in the army, abroad, and he got shot in Sicily. Then he took almost 2 years to get back home because you have to go via Egypt and come around Africa. As a child I always remembered him as wounded�

Claire with a portrait of her father

Claire with a portrait of her mother.

Wearing the same shawl as her mother in the photograph (Right) Letter to her mother and father from Malaya

Claire volunteering for St.John’s Ambulance

Claire Volunteering for St John’s Ambulance in France

Claire showing her old photographs

Claire telling her story to the Sahara Saheli group

With thanks to the Sahara Saheli Group