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MOJATU NEWS ROUNDUP Black Achievers Awards 2019. The 5th edition of The Black Achievers Awards (BAA) was held at the East Midlands Conference Centre on October 5, 2019 with the aim of honouring black people and showcasing positive role models in the community. The BAA was initiated in 2012 by the former Lord Mayor of Nottingham (2013-2014) Merlita Brayan who was then serving as City Councillor for Arboretum Ward before becoming the Sheriff of Nottingham in 2012-2013. The event brought together various individuals and sponsors. The Nottingham Police and Nottinghamshire Police and the Crime Commissioner were among the main sponsors for this event with the objective of building positive relationship between the BME community and the police. The Rising Star award was won by our Joan Gathoni while Abdoulie Jah grabbed the Community Volunteer.
serve as a springboard to unity. He highlighted the need to exhibiting typical village lifestyle of Africans as a platform where Black culture, tradition and heritage could be showcased meaningfully and thereby making it easy to the journey of root tracing. Other activities marking the month-long celebration was question and answer session with a panel of guests comprising former football professionals, coaches and administrators at the Queens Walk Community Centre in the Meadows. The Notts F.A in collaboration with and Inspire to Succeed CIC held the session to assess the factors for the difficulties and problems black people face in their quest for sports glory. A cross section of the public attended the programme where black athletes like Calvin Plummer, Ian Benjamin, Norris Stewart and Karl White among others took the stage during the discussions. There was also an exhibition of Black British players at the ceremony.
Commonwealth Reception, November 2019
FGM
More than 150 Commonwealth citizens attended a reception held at the Council House in Nottingham to celebrate the contribution their countries have made to the countyâs heritage, success and prosperity. The reception which was hosted by the Lord-Lieutenant, Sir John Peace, marked the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Commonwealth whose roots go back to the days of the British Empire. Historically, the city and county have long-standing relationships with Commonwealth countries through trade and education, more recently welcoming those who have chosen to live here making it their permanent home.
The Mojatu Foundation has been conducting training on community education in areas affecting our societies and communities. One key area has been running a campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) which started since 2014 after reports of over 200 cases in Nottingham. Since it is a very difficult matter, a positive approach on how to talk about it in a dignified way was very challenging but paramount.
Many of the citizens from Commonwealth countries settled in Nottingham in the late 1940s onwards becoming stalwart members of the community, helping to rebuild Britain after the ravages of the second world war and supporting the then newly established National Health Service. Black History Month Celebration As part of events marking the celebration of Black History Month, the Hyson Green Youth Centre played host to another organiser of activities commemorating the occasion. The organiser Abdoulie Jah who is a common figure in the Hyson Green area, told Mojatu Magazine that in other to compliment this yearâs theme; "Black Migrationsâ, the need to create a link between Blacks in the diaspora and blacks at home in Africa should be the an area of focus which will eventually
It was very difficult involving survivors and bringing in men in the conversation because they have a part to play in helping victims defeat the trauma attached to FGM. FGM is a very personal subject to discuss while in some cultures, talking about it openly is taboo. Engaging influential people and survivors within our communities as well as faith and community leaders has been the benchmark for the success registered. More than 80 community members have been involved in the campaign (men, women, young and old). As an activist and campaigner Valentine Nkoyo have been involved in national and international conversations and campaigns around FGM as over 135,000 girls and women in the UK have been affected and over 200 million globally. Even though it has been declared illegal in the UK since 1985, in Nottingham alone, between 2016 and 2017 about 85 known cases were reported while the unreported remain unknown. Most cases happen between the ages of 5 and 13 â these are children who do not understand what
