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News & Sports

ANNETTE LEVY COMMUNITY WORK

FGM

ZERO TOLERANCE DAY 2021

LOCKDOWN LET’S TALK

BENEFITS OF YOGA

Our Covid-19 work

Photos & stories Pg 14-25

Female Genital Mutilation

FGM – FACTS, HELP & ACTIONS Facts

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

Taking The City To the Fa Taking The City To the Farm

Help

Are you concerned a girl or woman is at risk or need support? • • Join the Community FGM Steering Group: Contact us • For emotional & peer support for survivors in Nottingham, join the FGM Survivor’s club: Contact us Free • Refer survivors needing medical attention to FGM medical specialist in Nottingham: Contact us Sessions: Free Refuge • Sessions: Free FGM helpline Refugees & Asylum Seeker • Call 0808 028 350 for a 24/7 anonymous or email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk Tuesdays Welcome Sessions: • Call Nottingham City Council Children and Families Direct: 0115 876Seekers 4800 Saturdays Tuesdays • Ring the police on 999 if FGM has just happened or about to happen Saturdays Tuesdays ADOP Activities include: Saturdays ADOPT A TREE include:Fruit Harvesting Actions Activities Fruit Harvesting Tree Management Activities To help end FGM and support survivors, join oneinclude: of our campaigns or projects Tree ManagementWeeding for Pumpkin Fruit Harvesting • FGM Survivors Club • Volunteer with us Feeding the animals Weeding for Pumpkins & Maize Form Tree Management • FGM Steering Group • ‘Adopt a tree’ project https://go Feeding the animals Pumpkins & Maize • FGM Global Faith Ambassador Weeding• for Donate to support our work Form online @ • FGM Global Young Ambassador Feeding •the Fundraise our work oodland 9sz animals to support https://goo.gl/WyH

W gement nd a l ana ionEDIBL d o M o W t E n e ss s‘18 m e e S g d a WOODLA n n a l a EDIBLE d p M o e s o S n W ment pr Home Farm, Scre AEcocentre, ssio ‘18 SeWOODLAND For more information, contact Foundation p www.farmeco e ManeasgseioMojatu S s r n p Home Farm, Screveton, NG13 8JL AEcocentre, https://goo. Mojatu Foundatio S e07759 Phone: 01158457009 Mobile: 927671 8 1 ‘ p www.farmeco.co.uk S r T: 0115 784 | M: Ro 07 Email: shalom@mojatu.com | Website: Ap www.mojatufoundation.org Mojatu Foundation | 1676666 Alfreton https://goo.gl/pEK1AC

• Request for training

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

@ mojatuf

@mojatu_foundation

Editor’s Welcome Despite the difficult 2020 just gone, 2021 seem to be fast moving as we slowly come out of the 2nd wave of Covid-19 and the 3rd Lockdown. Our communities continue to hold together as they fight this common enemy –Covid-19. This continue to be manifested in the way they look out for each other through daily/weekly calls, signpost each other to the needed resources and services, educate each other in matters of mental health & healthy living, generally are aware of the importance of compassion to self and others. Thank you to all the community champions who continue to enable this. This quoter’s cover star is Annette Levy, a great long-time all-round community champion including folk song star. Reading her encouraging article on community work. Meet our young engaging people as they showcase how Covid-19 has affected them and how they continue to manage the lockdown. Dr Esther Oenga show cases how most women have kept active through Yoga while Annice Thomas continue to bring the most needed inspiration through poem. Connect with Tombe Tombe as he analysis how the lockdown is being eased. Keep Up With Artur Meyster, It is true that having a degree or any kind of education is essential. For this reason, parents are even more concerned about what kind of education their children are receiving these days. When we talk about having a degree, years ago only a selected few would be fortunate enough to pursue higher education. There were jobs that didn’t require extensive knowledge of tech-related subjects, as well as a high level of education. Happy Reading! Cecily Mwaniki Managing Editor: Mojatu Magazine Email: news@mojatu.com.

Contents News & Sports FGM Zero Tolerance Day ........................................4-5 The Fight Against FGM ...............................................6 Community Briefing ....................................................7 Life In The New Moria Camp ....................................9 Community The Jamaica Society And Friends Reading ...... 12 Our Covid19 work Lets Talk Lockdown ................................................... 14 Loneliness and Isolation ......................................... 16 Remaining Connected Through Football ......... 18 Coping with Corona virus ....................................... 20 Benefits of Yoga ......................................................... 22 Health and Food How to Freeze Fruits and Vegetables ................. 24 Mental health in the British Asian Cmty ............ 25 Education and Career Preparing Young Adults for Work ........................ 26 The Stigma Around Periods ................................... 27

Cover

Annette Levy

Mojatu Media 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.

Edwin Ubah - eddy@mojatu.com Accounts: Angela Wathoni - Angela@mojatu.com Admin: Penny Cooper - penny@mojatu.com News & Comments: news@mojatu.com Getting the magazine Online @ www.mojatu.com/magazines Subscription @ £24 per year including postage Address: 555 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 8NX, T: 0115 8457 009 | 07859 063643 Facebook: www.facebook.com/mojatu Twitter: https://twitter.com/UtulivuRdg Printers: Mojatu Media

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News & Sports

FGM ZERO TOLERANCE DAY: NO TIME FOR GLOBAL INACTION ON FGM By Shalom Adebanjo-Akers and Stella Muiruri

February 6 is International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The designation of such an important day aids in the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goal target which aims to eliminate the practice by 2030.

On 11 Feb 2021, to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance, Utulivu Women’s Group, Acre and Partners held a talk facilitated by Cecily, centred around the the global campaign to end FGM. FGM is a topic that is often seen as taboo to talk about, people often do not understand how vital a role they play in the fight to eliminate the practice, especially the importance of bringing male voices to the conversation.

Why is it important to keep the conversation going?

In spite of the limits of the current climate, large numbers signed up for the talk, which provided attendees with the opportunity to be a part of the online conversation, to unite, educate and act in order remind one another of the issues affecting women who have been through FGM. When asked what percentage of participants were aware of FGM, 54% responded with very well 38% stated fairly well and 8% not well. So, what is FGM? The World Health Organisation defines Female Genital Mutilation as, harming or removing all or part of the external female genitalia. There are 4 types: •

Type 1: Clitoridectomy - Involves the removal of the clitoris

•

Type 2: Excision - Involves the remove of the clitoris and the labia

•

Type 3: Infibulation - Involves Narrowing or stitching of the vaginal opening

•

Type 4: Any other harmful procedures that are not included in the first three categories such as pricking, stretching among others.

FGM is child abuse, it is gender based violence and is part of a continuum of female body and sexualiy control. Though often carried out by women, it is for the benefit of men. Some of the reasons often cited for its continuation include: 1.

The preparation of a girl for marriage;

The preservation of virginity;

The belief that it is a religious requirement, though no religious text requires this;

Cultural ideals of modesty, including cleanliness

There are no health benefits of FGM, rather the physical and psychological effects are severe and can often lead to death. FGM affects at least 200 million women and girls in at least 90 countries globally, though the figures do not represent the true scale. It is estimated that 137,000 women and girls are living with the consequences of FGM in the UK, with a further 60,000 girls at risk. Due to the Covid pandemic it is estimated that an additional 2 million girls are thought to be at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation by 2030. It is vital for the global community as a whole, to reimagine a world that enables women and girls to be able to have a voice, choice and control over their lives. During the meeting, which became a space for learning, the participants shared and identified experiences and feelings. Victor, reflected on his experience, in attempting to speak out against the practice. Stating that he was often told to be quiet, at his abhorrence of the continuation of the practice. He stressed the importance of bringing men’s voices to the conversation stating, “if men were involved in these conversations, the practice could end sooner.” Oftentimes men are not aware of the circumstances surrounding FGM, adding that when they were made aware of the harm of the practice, they were often saddened by the practice and less likely to endorse it in the future. Furthermore, men are the ones who contribute to the stigma surrounding FGM. The inclusion of boys and men can play a vital role in the prevention and abandonment of the practice. Another panelist, Hadiatu, - who works to empower young girls and help them learn to advocate for their right to bodily integrity - spoke of the pressures young girls received from society, which dictated a status quo regardless of the viewpoint of those involved. Highlighting that within a particular region of Sierra Leone, girls would be taught how to perform certain acts, such as cooking and cleaning, only once they had undergone FGM. Thus ensuring daughters were fully indoctrinated into the patriarchal society. She spoke of the need to find an alternative way to usher girls into womanhood, without the pain of FGM.

Berkshire connected The talk was well received by all who attended, with general awareness of the practice increasing by 20%, leaving a desire to continue the conversation. Key suggestions were made, in order to aid in its elimination:

News & Sports How can you help end FGM Challenge Myths surrounding FGM Speak Out about the risks of FGM

Educate girls on their rights to decide what happens to their bodies

The need to create safe spaces for all voices to share experiences and learn.

The importance of youth involvement in the fight against FGM

The need to support grassroots organisations.

FGM support:

The importance of using men as allies in the fight to end FGM.

Acre - http://www.acre-reading.org/

The promotion of actions that support the participation of migrant women and counter isolation of cultural actions.

It is only through an understanding of the complex cultural, social and economic factors involved in the continuation of the practice, that we can truly end it. It is important to continue to speak out and educate one another so that we can end the practice in a generation. But it is also important to engage affected communities.

Raise Awareness

Utulivu - https://www.utulivu.co.uk NSPCC - Offers 24hr service for information/advice 0800 028 3550 (FGM Helpline) – Email: fgmhelp@ nspcc.org.uk Call the police on 999 - If someone you know is at immediate risk of being cut or taken to overseas to be cut.

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News & Sports

THE FIGHT AGAINST FGM THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION Edited by Pa Modou Faal Welcome to ‘The Kind Link’ series. We will be exploring the challenges, motivations, and goals of charities with consideration to the Covid-19 situation. Non-profits organisations are a key part of our societies as they are the link between those who want to help and those who need help. Mojatu was founded in response to the local BAME communities living and working around Nottingham. One of the major areas of the charity is the campaign against FGM, which stands for female genital mutilation. The foundation is a means to spread messages to support the elimination of FGM across the UK and around the world. Mojatu works in other areas of health promotion awareness besides FGM such as diabetes, blood donation, mental health awareness trainings and campaigns among other relevant medical information. Through community journalism and other media techniques, Mojatu has been very consistent in organising tailored media training programmes for victims of FGM, Gender-Based Abuses against women and girls and for people with mental health issues. In order to challenge some of the negative stereotypes against migrant groups in the mainstream media, Mojatu recognises the need to train people to tell their own stories through their own voices. The organization works with BAME communities through community engagement and empowerment, help migrant communities and organizations to get funding so as to provide support for their own communities and awareness raising through community events and cultural activities. FGM is an issue that is not widely talked about or publicly known in the UK. Often times, people in the UK think it is an issue that does not happen locally, rather only in Africa and Asia and that it is a religious or cultural activity; however, that is not the case. FGM happens in many countries, including the UK. In 2018 alone, there had been about 80 registered cases of FGM in Nottingham meaning that 80 girls and women became victims of this violent act without their consent. FGM is recognized as a crime and punishable by the law in the UK but according to Laura McCartan of Mojatu Foundation, there had only been one successful case against the practice of FGM in the UK. Evidently, there are legal implication against this crime, but perhaps a better understanding of the issue is what is missing. People are afraid to call it out, as they think it might be culturally insensitive, however, Mojatu simply labels is as a girlchild and female abuse. Mojatu works with local authorities to help them

identify signs of FGM crimes. Nottingham City Council has been supportive of the organization’s work. This allows the community to work together in identifying the people at risk. The charity works with the people at risk of this crime and those affected by it. There is a team at Mojatu that runs counselling sessions, support groups and one-to-one support sessions (online during COVID-19). FGM can be a lifelong issue, that is why Mojatu offers long-term support to victims through counselling, advocacy strategies and training for rehabilitation, mentoring and coaching. During the lockdown stages and other government related restrictions on public gatherings, Mojatu resorted to online services to provide training for volunteers and others from the public in different areas such as FGM, mental health, media techniques on audiovisual productions, radio programme presentation as well as community conversation targeting the BAME community. In order to adapt to the community needs due to COVID-19, Mojatu has been very generation throughout the pandemic. Since the early stage of the pandemic, the organisation provided warm meals every weekend for the Muslim community during the Holy month of Ramadan as a way of support and partnership and continues to organise weekly food bank which benefits over a hundred families across Nottingham. The work of the charity has changed many lives and continues to do so in many different ways. Mojatu Foundation has become a household name in the Nottingham community for the important work and generous acts it has been doing and continues to do during the hardest moments of the COVID-19 crisis. As part of the community, Mojatu targets all groups within the BAME community and informs them of the crimes happening to girls and women within their own communities. It is encouraging that local councils and authorities have taken notice of the practice of FGM and are working with Mojatu to help identify people who suffer or might potentially suffer from FGM. As a community, we should all be a part of preventing this from happening and as well as raising awareness of key issues affecting us as a whole. We should all work together to Stop FGM and Violence Against Women. shorturl.at/aevG5

Berkshire connected

News & Sports

w COMMUNITY BRIEFING ACRE and the membership with the support of its partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors have been thinking of how they can work together more to support the people of Reading especially those from BAME (black Asian and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds. During this last two years with the lockdown ACRE has worked closely with partners like Utulivu Women, Reading Men’s Group, Women with Vision and members to promote online discussion and therapeutic conversations to help cope with the stresses and strains. These stresses and strains has been particularly burdensome because of the uncertainties and the consequences of the lockdown. We are all aware of the growing unemployment which has been increasing month since March 2020 when the first lockdown was initiated to try to mitigate the infections from this terrible virus that has affected us all globally. So what has been going on and what are ACRE and partners planning for the future in response to the social and economic challenges that has been unfolding since last year? However before I answer this question I would just like to tell you a bit about experience during this time of the Covid lockdown. Prior to the lockdown I was working on a lucrative contract which I was hoping would open up new opportunities for in the environmental sector. My contract was through Capita Resources as a temp working with an arm of the NDA (National Decommissioning Authority), RWM (Radioactive Waste Management), this increased my learning and interest on energy and environmental issues, then all of sudden the lockdown kicked in and that was it; I lost my job. So why tell you how the lockdown affected me personally? It is because I was one of those who was feeling very stressed out by what had happened to me

By Victor Nkwo

especially as this was the first breakthrough I thought was opening up new opportunities for me looking over the horizon. In my disappointment and the stress of the lockdown I took up volunteering at ACRE working with the leadership to recruit more volunteers in anticipation of the future such as we are coming into now. I found myself working on a wide range of projects and activities which really helped me mange my stress and have hope for the future. It is the hope that has inspired me to want to share this with you and encourage us all to look towards new horizons. It is argued that the difficulties we face brings about some kind of lessons to learn and the opportunity to make a fresh start or even to enhance what one already does. Some of the projects are:• Developing a Community Well-being Hub • Gardening and outdoor physical activity • Volunteering Support Network • Group Support Network • Training in Volunteering and Trustees • Volunteer recruitment and civic citizenship training. • Mental Health First Aid and Suicide Prevention Training and • Community engagement work • Employment and Enterprise development support These are a combination of training and skills development projects which anyone can benefit from, if they decide to become involved. ACRE and partners are open to working with existing and new members; individuals and families as well as in the wider community.

News & Sports

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Berkshire connected

News & Sports

w LIFE IN THE NEW MORIA CAMP, LESVOS: TESTIMONIES FROM THE BLACK COMMUNITIES By Ophellie Lawson On Tuesday 8th of September 2020, the famous Moria camp was consumed with fire. Thousands of refugees were forced to sleep rough on the street with no access to health and medical assistance and very poor access to food. Paul, an asylum seeker from Congo RDC, was amongst the people who found himself forced to live on the streets. Paul has been waiting for his asylum to be granted for 16 months in Lesvos. On the 19th of September, Paul, along with every single person that was left in the street of Lesvos was moved into the new camp. Europe’s new largest hotspot has been built in a peninsula called ‘Akra Asfali’ which in Greek roughly translates as ‘Safe Extemity’. However, for asylum seekers, it feels the farthest thing from safe. Unlike the old camp, the new camp is lacking the space and capacity to hold extra activities such as schools, language classes and so on, that are supporting the refugee population in their mental health whilst living in these inhumane conditions. From the old Moria camp to the streets of Lesvos, and now to the new camp, Paul’s testimony of life in the new camp gives us a first-hand account of new horrible living conditions asylum seekers suffer through on the island of Lesvos, Greece. What was the process of moving from the streets of Lesvos to the new camp like ? Paul: Moving from the street to the new camp, it was not easy. We had been just surviving in a inhuman place. When I left the old Moria camp, I expected and hoped for more than what we experienced. I left the old camp full of stress and anxiety, with a fire behind me. 8 metre high. Everyone was in distress, looking for their family members or friends. We all lost something, most of our material belongings got burnt. Losses and material damage for everyone, while we all had one destination in mind: the port of Mytilini, which is between the old camp and the centre of Mytilini. But unfortunately for us, the police came and intercepted us using truncheons. They used violence by throwing tear gas at us to stop everyone and prevent us from entering the city center. All this without taking into account the pregnant women, the mothers with their children that were amongst us. After these severe attacks, they started barricading roads to prevent people from moving forward. There were more than 12,000 people behind me who just had to abandon the camp that was on fire. You could hear screams everywhere, chaos, disorders, people crying because of the tear gas in their eyes

nobody could stand, all of this in the dark, late at night. It was so frightening I thought I was in hell on earth. The next morning we tried to cross the barriers that the police had erected but they would not let us pass. They had no pity on us. We had no water to drink, nor food. Everything behind us all had gone up in smoke. People started to get dehydrated. After a few hours, MSF (Doctor Without Borders) came and they started giving first aid to pregnant women, children, and very vulnerable people. For the rest of us, everything we tried to do to help ourselves was met with no success. The police had surrounded us and we were trapped in one place. In the street we were trapped in all the shops and supermarkets were closed, even those of us with a little money to buy a few things to eat didn’t have access to anything. My friend and I looked for a way to get inside the city center, unfortunately, we did not succeed. Read the full article here - https://rb.gy/is4flw

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10 News & Sports w

AFRICAN COMMUNITY LEADER CLAIMS NURSES ARE BEING ‘BULLIED’ INTO WORKING By Kuziva Mutisi

Nurses who are members of the African community have been “bullied” into going to work despite their disproportionately high risk of contracting coronavirus, according to claims by a community leader. Patrice Musarurwa, the 45-year-old director of African Community Nottingham (ACN), has voiced his outrage at reports of members being pressured into working despite concerns over their health, and some even demonstrating symptoms. ACN have been helping members of the African community in Nottingham of all ages who need support during the lockdown. According to Patrice, told of the concerns raised by members within the group who are nurses or work for agencies, who felt like they were being bullied into working. Patrice said, “people are under a lot of pressure and are getting assurances that there’s going to be PPE and all kinds of support, but our people are the ones dying the most. People are pushing a lot of hours and are really scared for their health but feel like they have to work.” The 45-year-old described how the nurses and agency workers who are being employed to work in care homes, become the most affected. Some of the members have expressed concerns over their job security if they do not turn up for work, he lamented.

Mr. Musarurwa further added, “we understand bosses are under a lot of pressure to take care of people in their homes but when one of us comes and says we don’t want to come into work because we don’t feel well, they risk losing their jobs. The African person does not have the liberty to stay at home and selfquarantine, and many black people don’t have the pleasure of not going to work as well”. He further revealed that many of these workers are living in rental properties and their landlords still want their rent paid, even with the government saying landlords should freeze rent, there is still gas and electric bills to pay. The situation has become severe for some in the community, which prompted Mr Musarurwa and members of the community to team up with Braai King, a Zimbabwean restaurant in Nottingham, to deliver free food to those in need. The ACN also has strong ties with communities in their native countries across Africa and many of the members have family that they support in their native countries which serves as added pressure to continue working despite the health risk. “They don’t only live to support their lives here, but many of them are custodians of their families back in Africa while most agency workers worry if they will have a job at the end of this pandemic”, he concluded.

Berkshire connected

News & Sports

AMY ALUBBE’S TAKE ON LEADERSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA w COMMUNITY AND SELF CRITICISM By Amy Lubbe

“It is very easy to get lost in the frenzy of social media and the seemingly perfect lives displayed on the feed”

As someone who is currently pursuing a professional career, a full-time degree and an empowerment resource-based platform; I am a firm believer in the principle that everything happens at the right time, not by chance but instead by divine purpose. However, the funny thing about pre-destined purpose is that you might not necessarily feel prepared enough to pursue that project or passion at the time when you are called. In my case, I found the doubts stemmed from within, but also how I thought others may perceive my new platform – inadequate in life experiences, resources and probably even maturity. For me, the breakthrough point was the moment I embraced the precious sense of liberation felt when you give full rise to your potential instead of succumbing to the doubting feelings inside. We all know what we are capable of, but it is acting upon this knowledge that is often the hard part. In the short period that I have witnessed my platform grow exponentially, I have learnt some key methods to remain focused and be a platform that pours into the community. From the on-set, it is imperative to surround yourself with those that are enabling and encouraging you to grow in purpose, passion and productivity. Constant belittlement and criticism from yourself or others that serves no constructive justification can have a damaging impact upon how you view the

potential and overall value of your project. Often times, it is very easy to get lost in the frenzy of social media and the seemingly perfect lives displayed on the feed. As a general principle, I set out to ensure that AlubbeSpeaks is a platform where my projects, both successfully and ongoing, are shared with genuine transparency and a realistic tone to uplift readers and motivate them to utilise these resources and subsequently further their own development. When jump-starting AlubbeSpeaks, it was important to me that the content and interactions always had a community-based meaning behind them. I found that giving meaningful support to other brands or individuals was genuinely reciprocated through engagement and collaborations, showing that empowerment with a purpose at this stage can make all the difference in raising awareness for your brand and the wider community simultaneously. Getting a little more specific, the diaspora generation for people of colour need this mutual continued support on a critical level. I cannot stress how much a gesture of genuine support has a much greater impact than we could ever realise – be it interacting with their online content, spreading the word about their work, buying their product(s), or even offering constructive feedback to further their endeavours. These projects, products and people can and will prosper if we give them the opportunity to do so. Alubbe Speaks is a platform for these precious voices to be heard, appreciated and amplified. For anyone wanting to do the same, I will sign-off with these three top tips: 1. Start now! Don’t become preoccupied with having every single detail of your project planned out before pursuing your passion. 2. Collaboration is key. Map out the brands/ platforms your passion resonates with and connect with them from the start. 3. Experiencing creators’ block is completely normal! Use this time to rest, recuperate and redefine your vision – you’ll come back better!

mojatu.com

12 Community

THE JAMAICA SOCIETY AND FRIENDS READING By ANNETTE LEVY

In Jamaica, I grew up in community where people helped each other. As a young person, I was always empathetic. I wanted to help the people around me whether they were younger or older. As a child growing up on a family farm with my Grandmother and cousins I would help with chores on the farm.

After leaving school in the late 1960’s I enrolled at Handsworth College and completed a one year Secretarial Course. After the course finished, I continued to help the children until I moved to Reading in 1969.

I arrived in England with my mum Myrtle Thompson in 1964. My Mum was a business woman in Jamaica; she was a kind and very resourceful woman, who opened the first West Indian Cafe in Handsworth Birmingham in 1965. It was born out of the need for safe spaces as demand for respite from the hostile racist environment, which the African Caribbean community faced on a daily basis. Hence giving them an opportunity to have West Indian cooked meals, socialise, and read the newspapers. It also catered for the youth too. It was here I acquired my customer service and catering skills. My mum was an Events Manager who organised seaside summer trips and entertained guests with dominoes, music, good food, giving them a taste of Jamaica. The backdrop of 1960’s Britain was that Black children faced systemic racism and the supplementary school movement began. During this period it was very hard for our community to find safe spaces for our children to go to without the threat of racial violence. They also received second rate service from the education system. Initially, the local Council were quite obtrusive and would not offer us any community spaces to hold a Saturday School. So, the elders of the community arranged with the local church to hire their hall. I volunteered at Saturday School by helping the children with their school work, and I found it to be very rewarding. The extra lessons made such a big difference because within a short space of time they grew in confidence, especially when they discovered they were able to help the other children that sat next to them. Through peer tutoring, our community was able to help our primary school children catch up with their school work, which they had been struggling with at school due to lack of support and systemic unconscious (or at times conscious) bias. What we did in Birmingham had a real impact on Black children as it not only improved confidence, they were able to attain higher grades and improve their career opportunities. This model started the Supplementary School Movement in the UK.

In Reading, I applied for administration jobs and was successful in that field. Over the years I continued to work for various companies in administration including engineering and advertising firms as well as in banking and Local Authority. However, I was always interested in working in the community to giving back to it. In 2004, I was invited by a friend to attend a meeting at the Church of God of Prophecy on the Oxford Road, Reading, where a new Community group called the Jamaica Society Reading was holding their meetings. I attended a meeting and found it to be interesting and informative, as the group was affiliated to the Jamaican Diaspora UK and they were working with the Jamaican High Commission in London. It was the start of my involvement in the Jamaica Society. In 2005 I was nominated by the Chair and elected as Secretary to the Jamaica Society and remained in the position for 13 years. Over the years I became an integral part of establishing the organisation in Reading, carrying out the registration with Reading Borough Council, liaising with the Jamaican High Commission, organising and implementing the group’s administration processes and procedures and arranging events. In 2013 The Jamaica Society name was changed to The Jamaica Society and Friends Reading. The Jamaica Society and Friends Reading is a community group that supports people of Jamaican

Berkshire connected heritage, their families, friends and associates and links them to the Jamaican Diaspora. The Jamaican Diaspora comes together to celebrate the success of Jamaican’s in Jamaica and abroad. The Society strives to address the issues that affect Jamaican’s and the wider community. We continue to focus on inspiring young and older people to get involved in cultural and community activities. For young people we put on performance workshops run by teachers from Jamaica helping to build their confidence and personal development. We also formed a cultural folk group called the Caribbean Serenaders that I am a member of and we perform at community events and for care home residents. We also have a Quadrille dance workshop as many of our older members have an interest in dancing. We also have seminars and workshops on health and other issues relevant to well-being, also giving updates and feedback from Jamaica Diaspora conferences, as well as an annual Summer Ball to celebrate Jamaica’s Independence in August (cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and Black History Month Event in October. In 2020 we opted for a virtual Black History Month Event, which was very well attended by our members and friends. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 we cannot have our monthly meetings in person so we do virtual monthly meetings via Zoom.

The Jamaica Society and Friends Reading also work together with other community groups such as the Caribbean Associations Group (which consists of the Barbadian and Friends Association and The St Vincent & The Grenadines and Friends Association), The

Community

Basingstoke Caribbean Society and The Globe Lunch Club to put on events for our community. Our most recent collaborative event was Reading’s first Thanksgiving Service celebrating the contributions of the Windrush Generation of Reading. The service was held at the Tyndale Baptist Church in Reading on 12 October 2019, this event was co-ordinated by Constance Gooding - Co-ordinator of the Globe Lunch Club and I. This was my proudest moment as Chair of the Jamaica Society and Friends to be able to show my appreciation and gratitude to The Windrush Generation because they paved the way for us. I would like to thank the Jamaica Society officers and members and my family for their continued support and contributions to enable the Society to thrive. It would be remiss of me not to mention the previous chairs Shirley Graham – Paul, Cherry Fletcher, Mel Roomes and Grace Powell who laid solid foundations for me to follow. The aim of the Jamaica Society and Friends Reading is to continue to grow and serve our community for future generations.

mojatu.com

14 Covid-19 Support Work

LET’S TALK LOCKDOWN! By Tombe Tombe Wan

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus (coronaviruses are a large family of viruses with some causing less-severe disease, such as the common cold). It was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019, and presently over 110 million cases have been reported across the world with 2.4 million deaths. There are three main variants of Covid-19; the UK (Kent) strain, the South African strain and the Brazilian strain. The Kent strain is the main strain in the UK and is though by scientists to stay as the dominant strain in the UK. The new strains of coronavirus share the same key symptoms with the initial strain – including a high temperature, continuous cough, and loss of sense of taste or smell. The new strains are also more infectious. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. The virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like are more likely to develop serious illness such as severe pneumonia; this is mirrored in the UK death toll (4.12 cases with over 121 thousand UK Covid-19 deaths). There are three vaccines approved for use in the UK; Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford; all created, certified and started to roll out in record time (within a year; with 10 years being the typical time scale from conception to being approved for human consumption). 17.7 million people have had their first vaccination so far in the UK. These numbers only consist of adults (the elderly and vulnerable people) as younger people; especially children are at lesser risk of succumbing to Covid-19. It was the 23rd of March 2020 when UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said people “must” stay at home and said that "we will immediately" close some businesses. This has been widely accepted (especially by government ministers) as the start of the first lockdown. Boris Johnson announced a second national lockdown for England on the 31st October 2020 for four weeks to

prevent a "medical and moral disaster" for the NHS. He said Christmas may be "very different" but he hoped taking action now would mean families can gather. ‘After 2 December, the restrictions would be eased and regions would go back to the tiered system’, he said. In January 2021, the PM confirmed England would start a third national Covid-19 lockdown. The government announcement stated the lockdown would last at least six weeks as the UK tackles increasing coronavirus numbers and sever pressure on the NHS. On the 22nd of February 2021, Boris Johnson outlined a ‘roadmap’ out of the current lockdown in England. The plan is split into 4 steps with there being 5 weeks between each step (allowing for 4 weeks to analyse data and 1 week to notify the public). • Step 1 (from 08/03/21): all children and students return safely to face-to-face education in schools and colleges. • Step 2 (from 12/04/21): the opening of non-essential retail. • Step 3 (from 17/05/21): the government will look to continue easing limits on seeing friends and family wherever possible, allowing people to decide on the appropriate level of risk for their circumstances. • Step 4 (from 21/06/21): the government hopes to be in a position to remove all legal limits on social contact. (A much more comprehensive and detailed roadmap out of lockdown can be found on the gov.uk website). The lockdowns have had a massive impact on our lives, socially, physically, mentally and financially. People are dying and getting sick (including mental illness), there has been heavy disruption in young people’s education, we cannot see our family members (whether they are in care homes or different households), people have lost their jobs with the under 25’s being hardest hit (The most recent unemployment rate - for October to December 2020 - was 5.1%. This is the highest figure for five years, and means that 1.74 million people were unemployed) and the economy has been severely affected (even though the government has put in place furlough schemes to help businesses and their employees; with nearly 10 million people were

Berkshire connected furloughed between the start of the scheme and the 13th December 2021. Covid-19 disproportionately affects people from the BME. Unfortunately, people from the BME community are also less likely to take the vaccine voluntarily. Please educate yourself about Covid-19 and the vaccine to make an informed decision, it could save lives. There is much talk about ‘vaccine passports’ (documentation of proof of vaccination). These passports may soon be needed to go on holiday, visit a pub or get a job (businesses and politicians have suggested). But Boris Johnson said on 23rd February 2021; There are "deep and complex issues" with using vaccine passports or certificates to prove someone's Covid "status.

Covid-19 Support Work

Remember to where a mask, wash your hands regularly and practice social distancing; 1 in 3 people who have the coronavirus have no symptoms, so you could be spreading it without knowing it. The government needs to strike the right balance between getting people vaccinated and easing the lockdown as we cannot permanently stay in lockdown (even if we stayed in lockdown forever, we still would not get rid of the virus, we must learn to live with it). There is light at the end of the tunnel. If things go smoothly, everyone could have their first vaccine by August (at the earliest). Stay positive, stay safe; stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives.

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16 Covid-19 Support Work

LONELINESS AND ISOLATION

By Mercy Njoki Mwaniki (Pharmacist Student) Understanding the impact loneliness and isolation have on our well-being and learning the ways in which we can all overcome this issue. With the previous and current social measures put in place by the government in their attempts to minimise the risk Covid-19 poses to our health, the concept of loneliness and isolation has become more widely understood and relatable between a wider range of people within this year. Unfortunately, for many members of society, the effects associated with loneliness and isolation have impacted them and their health years before the threat of Covid-19, whether it be related to age, race, culture or any other social measures. I’ve taken some time out to study more on this social issue and in all honesty, it’s a shame that it has taken me this long, however, it is better late than never to share this information. With the great uncertainty surrounding the duration of minimal social contact, I really do believe this topic is vital at a time such as this. So, let’s get into it! So what is loneliness and isolation? Loneliness Firstly, it is important to understand that we can all experience loneliness, and because this feeling is personal, where we can experience it varies from one person to another. Loneliness is such a common feeling that researchers define it as something we experience more than once a week. “Loneliness” itself does tell us a lot about the feeling. In simple terms, it’s all about feeling alone…loneliness is a state of mind. As a result of loneliness, one can feel empty, demotivated, alone, and unwanted. For those that experience loneliness, even where there is a want for human interaction, this state of mind can make it even more difficult to form connections with others, including family and friends. Age UK furthermore describes this as a gap between the “desired levels of social contact and the actual level of social contact”. Isolation While loneliness is a subjective feeling, social isolation is the objective measure of social contact one has with others. This is more of a quantitative measure rather than something that is qualitative. While one may find comfort in having a small social circle, this can become a problem, and this can lead to social isolation. Despite loneliness and isolation being different, they are two related and important concepts. Social isolation can evidently lead to loneliness, and the same is true for the other way round.

WHAT CAUSES LONELINESS AND ISOLATION? The truth is, there are no definite causes of these two social issues, but there are many contributing factors. As an example of social isolation, during these unprecedented times, social contact has become increasingly lost as we are being encouraged to stay home in order to protect ourselves. For members of society, such as the elderly and young people, this is a huge contributing factor to their sense of isolation and the feeling of loneliness. Other factors include the death of a loved one, divorce, moving to a new location, retiring, and other such variables. Loneliness and isolation can also be a result of experiencing discrimination and stigma because of your race, gender or sexual orientation, the experience of sexual, physical or emotional abuse or belonging to minority groups and living without those from a similar background. It’s important to note that loneliness and isolation can also be a symptom of psychological disorders such as depression. In relation to loneliness. internal factors such as low selfesteem can result in emotions that lead to this issue. To summarise, many factors can lead to loneliness and isolation and it can be difficult to pinpoint where exactly the sense of these two social issues started, but understanding their origin is a key step in learning how to move away from such negativity. THE IMPACT OF LONELINESS AND ISOLATION To grasp a better understanding as to why these factors are important, lets go through some statistics: Loneliness may increase your risk of death by 26% (Holt-Lunstad, 2015). Loneliness and isolation are associated with an increased risk of the development of coronary heart disease and stroke (Campaign to End Loneliness, 2018). Half a million of the elderly go at least up to six days without seeing or speaking to anyone at all (Campaign to End Loneliness, 2018). Between 3 April and 3 May 2020, 7.4 million adults reported their wellbeing had been affected by their feeling of loneliness (Office for National Statistics, 2020). Since the beginning of lockdown, 18-24-year-olds are more likely to feel lonely. Before this period, one in six said they felt lonely. This has increased and young people are now three times more likely to experience loneliness (Mental Health Foundation, 2020) As seen in the statistics above, loneliness and isolation play a key role in the downfall of our health. Feeling lonely is not a mental health problem however, our risk of mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety is greatly increased with long-term

Berkshire connected loneliness and isolation and this Worth impact can be Sponsors for Jobs difficult to overcome. Here’s a great illustration of the relationship between mental health and loneliness: (Mind, 2020) HOW CAN WE OVERCOME LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION? Dealing with it individually. Here are some great tips I found online. •

Identify the source of the issue.

•

When do you experience loneliness?

•

Is there a pattern?

•

How long have you been experiencing loneliness?

•

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Offer practical help. This can be really helpful in cases where someone may be in poor health, has suffered a bereavement, rarely leaves their home, is disabled, does not have a close social circle nearby or any other scenario that may limit their ability to do daily things. Offering practical help can be in the form of doing their weekly shop, picking up prescriptions for them or helping them do the gardening. This reminds me of my dad who often helps to clear our next-door neighbours hedges every Sunday or remove the bushes in her garden, and every time she asks why he offers to do it for free, he always replies “we all have to look out for each other”. During these times, the two of them converse over almost anything. I think this mantra is something we all must live by to help make the world a little less lonely.

Do you feel most lonely around certain people? Why? Share your time, • Do you feel the need to do something when you I do believe sharing time is a really good way of are lonely? reducing social isolation and loneliness. This again, brings me back to my dad who would invite another Start to note down your thoughts and feelings. next-door neighbour over, who happened to live Journaling your thoughts is great way to track your alone and miles away from family. Even if it was feelings and relieve stress. Personally, I did find for a cup of tea, you could see that he genuinely committing to a journal difficult as I didn’t know how to enjoyed his time away from home. Whatever you start and how much I should write. The truth is, you can can do to share your time, I encourage you to do it. write as much as you feel like writing. To make it easier, you can use prompts such as “I feel lonely when…”. If you or anyone around you is experiencing loneliness Prompts such as this get you straight to the point and can and isolation and/or believe this this impacting yours be a great way to point out the cause of your emotion. or their wellbeing, here are a few organisations you can get in touch with. Practice meditation. Meditation is a good source Mind: Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health of comfort. Researchers have suggested that it my disorders. ease our feelings associated with loneliness and W: www.mind.org.uk T: 03001233393 (Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm). depression. Meditation also enables you to explore CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): For men aged 15-35. your feelings and grasp a better understanding of W: http://www.thecalmzone.net T: 0800585858 (Daily, 5pm-Midnight). them. So whether your meditation comes in the form Samaritans: Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of of prayer, painting, cleaning, walking or through distress and despair. simple reflection, take some time out for yourself! W: http://www.samaritans.org.uk T: 116123 (Free 24hr helpline). Consider talking to a therapist. The thought of talking to a professional about how you feel can be daunting but these professionals are a great support as you try and discover more about yourself. Feeling lonely may also be an indication of an underlying mental health condition and so talking to a professional may be most beneficial when deciding the best course of action. How to help others. Start a conversation. Taking time out of your day to chat to someone who you believe is socially isolated and/or lonely. Even if the chat is as simple as the weather, that social encounter can provide a positive experience to each an every one of us.

Age UK: Services and support to inspire, enable and support the elderly. W:http://www.ageuk.org.uk T: 08006781602 (8am-7pm every day of the year)

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REMAINED CONNECTED THROUGH FOOTBALL THEREBY SAVING OUR SANITY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. By James My Name is James, and I am currently a full time A-level student. Around 2 and a half years ago my friends and I were in general conversation and one of us posed a question. “Why don't we start a football team?” A lot of us had been playing football together since primary school, we also had older family members and friends that used to play together with us. The question received a resounding “yes” answer. We therefore got into a venture of searching for a league that would accept us. We found a league that was best suited for us which ended up being Reading district Sunday league. We applied for a place within the league and were then lucky enough to be offered an interview for the league which some other team members and I attended along with the chairman, Thomas. The interview went well and a few days later we were offered a chance to play in division 4 of the RDSL. Some months went by from the acceptance in June of 2019 to our first league game in September of the same year. Prior to this a few of the lads in the community had also joined our team, so we had a full squad coming into the season. We started the season with a bang and won 7-2 against FC Whitley wood. This was secured from a hat trick by Stephen who ended up being our top scorer in the 2019-2020 season and narrowly missed the division’s top scorer by a few goals. The contribution from him, that of all the squad and our supporters resulted in us seeing promotion to Division 3 where we are now sitting at 6th position (middle of the table). We are indebted to organisations such as Utulivu Women’s Group and the Reading West SDA church under the leadership of pastor Trevor Thomas which have definitely helped us during this time of financial uncertainty. Individual contributions from one of

our managers, Andrew, helped us to obtain kits that are a requirement in the league, we have also had contributions from Thomas, Baraka and Samuel, just to mention but a few; towards the payments of other fees. All these has given the boys people to be inspired by and strive towards giving back to the community. The year of 2020 was obviously a tough year for everybody because of the spike of the Coronavirus pandemic within the UK and the world at large which has continued into this year 2021. As we all know many people and at large Men have struggled with maintaining their mental health because of the current events. One of the ways in which this team has helped during these difficult months is that we have all been able to contact each other through social media and especially online gaming platforms, such as PlayStations. The team has created a sense of brotherhood which allows us to connect through games such as FIFA that all of the boys could testify to and say that it has extremely helped us obtain some of the happiness that football provided for us before the lockdowns. For example, on the 16th of February 2021, the lads played a pro clubs football match between themselves which resulted in a lot of humour and a competitive nature being put on display. This allows us to express ourselves as much we can in an environment that is non-judgmental, safe and not detrimental towards our health or the health of those around us. I hope that the R number will continue on the downward spiral and bring an end to the lockdown so that we can hopefully go back to playing consistent football for Reading West FC. Thanks to Utulivu Women’s Group and others for enabling us to remain connected though apart through the pandemic. This has saved our sanity even as we work towards good grades for our exams results.

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Covid-19 Support Work

MAXIMISING YOUR GOD-GIVEN TALENT TO BE THE CHANGE WE SEEK By Annice Thomas

Annice Thomas has had a love of history and poetry since she was 10 years old. As a community champion, she regularly sends poems to a variety of groups as her way of keeping people hopeful and motivated.

Loving Your Enemy

It was her great joy to create a collection of poems to accompany the Life Stories project. During last year’s Old People’s Day, she sent out a poem in dedication to our community seniors.

Walking on eggshells night and day

This was picked by the Age Uk and now by the Reading Rural Museum as seen through the link below. Annice continues to use her poetry talent to reach out to the community especially the difficult covid-19 experience and encourages all the community champions to maximise their talents in making the difference that is most needed in the times we are in. Below is the poem Annice has dedicated to this year’s Women International Day.

Loving your enemy is a hard thing to do Especially when your enemy is your partner too Tormented by ruthlessness Feelings of worthlessness Masking bruises, too scared to say Mental torture, wretched humiliation No family, no friends, total isolation Constant gaslighting, no sleep, no money This is deadly serious It really isn’t funny Campaigners say No more! No more! Victims too afraid to walk out the door Children cowering in silent fear Nursing victims, wiping tears The detriment of daily coercive control Crushes the mind, body and soul Food and sex on demand Living at the perpetrator’s evil command Loving your enemy is a hard thing to do Especially when your enemy is your partner too

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COPING WITH CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) – FROM A CHILD’S PERSPECTIVE. By Ryan Okemwa – 11 years old When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This was my immediate thought when I first heard of Corona virus. A virus that we can’t see, yet it has caused so much disruption all over the world. It hit us from all directions at once.

can’t control. I encouraged my friends and family to stop focusing on the things they can’t control and focus on what they can control and that is “YOU and I”. We can control how we act, what we say, what we do and how we react to things and situations.

The reality begun to sink in the day our school was closed in March last year and I sat at home with mixed feelings. Feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, fear of the unknown and of change. It all seemed so surreal. We were being pulled from our normal routines and activities into a state of just being stagnant.

My faith teaches me that God cannot give you something you can’t handle. Therefore, irrespective of the various challenges we face in life especially in the light of the pandemic, I realised, that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and these dark times will pass. Today, we are facing some long term hope and positivity with the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccines which are giving us some anticipation that we will return back to normal one day.

The government and people we relied on were giving us mixed information that is constantly changing and unstable. Upon speaking to my family and friends who had no answers to my questions and were as confused as I was, it was at that point that I realised I needed to manage my fears and anxieties before they took a hold of me. Faced with constant bombardment of negative news, job losses, companies shutting down and figures of the increasing infection rates across the world and sadly the growing number of individuals who have lost their lives, it dawned upon me that we are dealing with a serious global threat that it isn’t going away anytime soon. Covid-19 is no respecter of person. Irrespective of your educational, political, ethnic or social background, anyone could be affected by Covid-19 and with no cure, we can only hope for the best. With this realization in mind, I knew I had to do something. The first thing I had to do was to come to terms with my feelings. Some days I would be optimistic and some days I would be scared or anxious wondering whether we would ever go back to normality. This was fuelled by when there was a little glimmer of hope back in the summer of 2020 when we came out of lockdown only to return to another lockdown shortly after. I realised that the best way to regulate my feelings and emotions was to identify them. When you name it, you can tame it. I also allowed myself to recognise that it is ok to not be ok. The rollercoaster of emotions we all felt was normal. The best way to handle this is to be kind to yourself especially when it concerns matters that are beyond your control. I also recognised that the best therapy is to speak to someone about how you’re feeling and asking for help when you need it which is what I did on a few occasions. The next step was to acknowledge what we can and

I am very active and heavily involved in football, hockey, rugby and swimming. Therefore, to not be able to train during the lockdowns with my coaches and peers was a sad reality. However, rather than sink in sorrow, I decided to create a Whatsapp group with my friends whereby we would challenge each other to different exercises and activities to enable us to practice and get better in our sports. We learnt from each other and it was a good opportunity for us to support and encourage each other. We are still very active with this and it has greatly helped improve our mental health collectively and it is a great distraction. I used the last few months as an opportunity to also take on new challenges and learn new skills. For instance, we are learning French and Spanish at home, baking, gardening, playing the drums and piano and I have also used it as a way to bring my wider family together. We created various Whatsapp groups with family members that we haven’t spoken to in years across the world and this has greatly increased our bond as a family unit. We’ve learnt so much about each other and laughed so much. We really look forward to our regular calls and I would suggest to you to get involved in group calls/ activities with family or the wider community. Utulivu ran weekly calls on Zoom that have truly been educative and encouraging during this period. I have joined a few of the calls and I really felt empowered, motivated and recharged. Most importantly, Covid-19 has taught me to practice gratitude. Being grateful about being alive, your job, education, family, friends, good health etc can improve psychological health, reduce toxic emotions and increase empathy. Every day I wake up and take a few moments to just count my blessings and be grateful.

Berkshire connected I have also taken a lot of time out to practice self-love. Treating myself to a favourite meal, going for walks, meditating, reading the bible, watching movies and doing the things that make me happy. I have learnt to filter negative and bad things or people from my life and making a conscious decision to be happy every day. I learnt that I can’t rely on anyone, my environment or circumstances to make me happy, only I can do this. This can happen if you have the right attitude in life. A positive and grateful attitude. I have also taken a step back and refocused on my goals and aspirations and re-evaluated on what really matters in my life. The things I want to achieve in my lifelong term, and I have set a plan and timeframes on when I will achieve these goals. Covid-19 has taught us that although we need the material things, we have to make our lives better,

Covid-19 Support Work

these things don’t really matter at the end of the day. What matters are the simple things, family and strong relationships with loved ones, good physical, emotional and mental health, developing a winning attitude in life and looking after yourself. Although Covid-19 has presented a spectrum of mixed emotions in us, feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, confusion, hopelessness, boredom and uncertainty, let us remain enthusiastic that we will overcome this. despite there being greater pressure and stress, it is important to be aware that how we react to this is what will make or break us. Unhealthy coping mechanisms can lead to mental, emotional and physical issues. Stay positive, have a winning attitude and be happy.

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22 Covid-19 Support Work

MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE (YOGA) BY UTULIVU TEAM

Regular exercises have huge benefits to people of all ages. The Yoga exercises funded by Get Berkshire Active initially was meant to take place in Hexham community centre while observing the rules of social distancing. But due to another lockdown, Utulivu group had no option but to do the sessions virtually. That had lots of advantages one being that the participants engaged in the exercise sessions from the comfort of their homes. And participants joined beyond the targeted geographical locations. More sessions were delivered compared to initially planned due to hall hire costs not incurred. Overall, the design of the project was meant to enable participants to be active during Covid-19 lockdown. This was to empower women to STAY IN GOOD HEALTH, AS HEALTH IS THE NEW WEALTH HENCE THEIR WELLBEING.

PERSONAL GOALS WERE SET TO BE ACHIEVED AT THE END • • • • • • • •

Relieve tension and stress of Covid-19 Weight management, burn the calories Stay healthy Connect with others Increase physical strength of the body Remove toxic wastes Improve blood flow Reduce the body pains

EMPOWERED AND INSPIRED WITH THE HEALTH NUGGETS The participants were left empowered and inspired after each session. They were motivated to do regular exercises in their own homes on their own initiatives after being reminded that “THEY WERE THE EXPERTS/ DOCTORS OF THEIR OWN BODIES/HEALTHY. This came out powerfully as participants were reminded always and they owned this. THE POPULAR EXERCISE Several exercises were delivered for every part of the body. Some were more popular than others. One of the popular ones was “Celebrating Success”. It was a time of exercising the lungs through laughter. There is a popular saying laughter is medicine. The essence of celebrating success was to increase lung capacity and recharge oxygen supply. Participants looked forward to this. Exercises of all kinds were delivered to benefit all parts of the body: the head, shoulders, the back, the legs, hands, nose. It was for the total BODY FEEL GOOD AND HEALTHY. HEALTH BENEFITS PARTICIPANTS

NARRATED

THE

On a weekly basis the sessions were delivered and when asked the participants narrated endless benefits of regular exercises as follows: START WELL AND STRONG The participants worked on their base and comfort speed after the instructor gave a briefing at the beginning of each session and reminded participants to start strong by observing the following: • • • • •

Allow time to warm up Wear right clothes Check the house temperature Exercise before a meal Start slowly and then progress gradually

• I have learnt to be positive as the exercises encourages me to be positive in all that I do. • The exercise has been a motivation for me because we do it as a group. I don’t find it motivating doing it alone but seeing others do it on-line with me is very encouraging. • After the exercise, I normally feel so tired and end up having a very good sleep. As soon as get into bed, I fall asleep so easily. • I normally have body aches, but after the exercise, I find my body more flexible, the stiffness is alleviated. • I sweat during the exercise and it removes toxic

Berkshire connected wastes • The exercise that we engage in weekly leaves me happier. The exercise impacts on my moods positively. • The exercise does a lot of things to me because I am active through the day, addressing the boredom and my day does not drag. • The impact to the exercise is that I feel it from the head to the toes • I never knew the positive impact of yoga exercise until I participated. It was more than expected. • There are lots of health nuggets from these Yoga sessions thus importance of having fresh air, regular exercises, eating healthily, having flowers in the house. • The Yoga sessions led me to attend other sessions like gardening. • The exercise has contributed to my mental health especially I feel more settled and positive. • My stress and anxiety pockets are emptied daily • The Yoga sessions have been funny and enjoyable • The exercises have given me a good stretch • The instructor is encouraging and provided opportunity for participants to exercise according to ability. • There are diverse exercises that suits everyone, some standing, sitting and even lying exercises. • My biggest benefit is that the exercise has relieved my stress and tension. • There has been total health: emotional, physical and mental wellbeing • The exercises have enabled me to drink more water as we normally take break to drink water and by sweating my body demands more water. • The exercises have restored my health-alleviated my body pains • Since I started the exercises, I have changed my lifestyle because I find myself doing exercises daily for 10-15 minutes has helped me so much even to eat because I feel hungry. • Physically my body feels stronger.

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• My lower back feels much better than before. • It relaxes and refreshes my brain for the next two, three days. • Feels good connecting with others even if is only virtual • I feel good extending the invitation link to my friend who finds it hugely helpful. • I like the celebration part of the session which the one time a laugh from my belly. This I think increases my lung capacity. As led by the facilitator. • The exercises have improved my blood circulation. • These sessions feel like family • These sessions makes me feel happy, better and refreshed all day A MESSAGE FROM THE INSTRUCTOR A daily programme of at least thirty minutes of exercise will yield maximum benefits. Do it regularly and enjoy it and ACHIEVE YOUR WELLBEING. FINAL MESSAGE: Exercise is the wisest INVESTMENT you can ever make for yourself. Set a time for your exercise and stick to it and ENHANCE YOUR WELLBEING. Utulivu Women’s Group is ever grateful to Get Berkshire Active for the grant that went along way. It has provided an opportunity for women to be active and to achieve their wellbeing for life.

Compiled By Dr Esther Oenga.

24 Health & Food

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HOW TO FREEZE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Freezing is a really good way to preserve fruits and vegetables, and this is why it is crucial to do it right. There are some techniques which can prevent the fruits and vegetables to clump together and thus can avoid wastage of food. It is important to mention that there are some vegetables which are not suitable for freezing such as: chicory, endive, kale, lettuce, cucumber, radishes and Jerusalem artichokes. For the softer vegetables and fruits all there is to do is to open freeze them by placing them on a non-stick baking sheet or lined with baking parchment, space each piece well apart and then freeze until solid. This time if possible, set the freezer to the lowest temperature so then the fruits and vegetables can freeze faster and thus smaller ice particles will be formed. Once they froze, take them out and put them into a freezer bag and label them, so it takes up less space and then put them back to the freezer.

For harder fruits or vegetables, like beans it is worth putting them into a boiling water and cook them for 1-3 minutes (depending on the vegetables e.g. for broccoli it’s more like 5-7 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking. Then open freeze them by placing them on a non-stick baking sheet and freeze them until solid. After this take them out of the freezer and put them in a freezer bag and label them. The benefit of open freezing is that it allows you to store fruits and vegetables without them clumping in a big block and allows you to use what you need as and when, instead of having to defrost the whole amount. Original article can be found here: shorturl.at/mpsBT

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Health & Food

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE BRITISH ASIAN COMMUNITY By Saffron Dusanjh

“What will other people think?” For many South Asians, this question springs to mind when making any kind of decision – a decision that concerns no one else but yourself. How others perceive you and your family is, for most South Asians, the most pressing concern. One that takes priority over everything – including your mental health, wellbeing and happiness. It is therefore unsurprising that a huge number of British Asians suffer from mental health problems and rarely get help. Around 1 in 20 people suffer from depression in India and in a survey of 3556 people, 47% could be described as highly judgmental of people with a mental illness. This toxic mentality has been carried over to the UK where British Asians are still too preoccupied with the shame from what others will think or say and the impact on a family’s reputation to address mental health issues. Furthermore, there is a worry that having a mental health issue will be an obstacle to marriage. For most Indian families, the concern of a son or daughter finding a suitable partner to carry out the arrangement of marriage is far greater than the concern towards the actual mental health issue. This is why if a son or daughter is suspected of possessing a mental illness, it is kept secret for their future partner to discover later on, resulting in an unhappy marriage or divorce (divorcees are often seen as being failures and people are expected to continue to live in an unhappy marriage), which then exacerbates the issue. This leads on to the fact that in many cases, depression is caused by the cultural pressures that come with being in an Indian family. For example, South Asian girls are heavily judged

in everything they do – how they dress, academic performance, whether they ‘go out’ a lot, whether they can cook and clean etc. For men, typically seen as the ‘breadwinners’ of the family, admitting to a mental illness is a weakness and can lead to emasculation. These pressures weigh heavily on one’s shoulders and feed into a vicious cycle of feeling restricted due to cultural pressures, leading to depression or anxiety which is then seen as shameful within the community, which exacerbates these mental illnesses. Yet, many South Asians do not view mental illnesses as a medical issue, but instead thought to be caused by ‘the will of God or bad parenting’ or a punishment for something done in their previous life. People with a mental illness such as depression are often labelled as ‘crazy’ and ‘mad’ resulting in themselves and their families being shunned by the community and in worse cases being disowned by their own family. Many members within my own family have suffered from depression and I have witnessed the social isolation this had led to from the community. Mental illnesses are rarely even acknowledged and the lack of support from family and friends only worsens this issue. These attitudes towards mental health within the Indian community are backward and outdated and must change. We must break the cycle. Young British Asians should consciously take a different approach and a different attitude so that the future generations do not have to suffer like previous generations have. Conversations regarding emotions need to be normalized. Being able to do what makes you happy should be normalized. Not judging other people should be normalized. This must be done so that we can reduce the number of British Asians that suffer from mental health issues and learn how to best support the people that do.

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26 Education & Career

HOW TO PREPARE YOUNG ADULTS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK by Artur Meyster It is true that having a degree or any kind of education is essential. For this reason, parents are even more concerned about what kind of education their children are receiving these days. When we talk about having a degree, years ago only a selected few would be fortunate enough to pursue higher education. There were jobs that didn’t require extensive knowledge of tech-related subjects, as well as a high level of education. However, as years pass, the rules are changing and so is technology. The tech market has been growing so fast that there are new kinds of roles created every other day. As a result, the nature of how we live and work has also changed. This also spurs the creation of new subjects to learn. In effect, schools needed to redesign their curriculums in order to provide students with the right knowledge to be prepared for the future of work. We are living in a digital age. For this reason, almost all the things we can see and touch are results of tech advancements—starting from simple things like toys to more complex things like robots or even self-driving cars. So, if you really want to give your children a good education in order to have more job opportunities in the future, you should consider putting them on the right path by learning techrelated skills.

Here’s a list of some skills that are highly in-demand and will likely increase your children’s chances to land a well-paid job when tomorrow comes.

also developed a version of NodeJS for IoT apps. On the other hand, Paypal has been using JavaScript to design and develop the front end aspect of its website.

Machine Learning: As the name suggests, it is an application of artificial intelligence that gives machines the ability to “learn”. It allows systems to improve from experience, even if they weren’t particularly programmed for some tasks. Machine learning is used by several companies these days. For example, Google has been using machine learning to develop and create a smart chatbox. The company’s chatbox is able to analyze all the messages received in order to understand what has been said. Then, it will figure out possible responses that would answer the queries received. Also, the more you “teach” the chatbox, the more sophisticated the responses will be. Interesting, right?

SQL: As mentioned, we are living in a digital era, and as a result, companies have to deal with big amounts of data every day. With the use of technological devices, there is more and more data to be gathered out there. Nowadays, companies use data for multiple purposes including making smart data-driven decisions that can increase their profits. Data also helps companies to understand their customers better.

JavaScript: JavaScript is a programming language that has also become very popular these days. Using JavaScript, web developers are able to build websites from scratch very easily. For this reason, there is no doubt that you can find use cases of JavaScript everywhere. As days pass, even more companies are starting to use JavaScript to create more visually-appealing websites. For example, companies like Microsoft use JavaScript to create its Edge web browser. Microsoft has

For this reason, a tool that is able to manage and store data in a methodical way is highly needed. That where SQL comes into the picture. SQL is a versatile programming language that helps companies deal with data in an efficient way. As a result, the demand for professionals that are equipped with this skill is also increasing. Conclusion: The future is being reshaped and so is education. For this reason, if you want to provide your children with skills that will guarantee a future for them, consider one of the three skills listed above or many other techrelated abilities. Indeed, tech is the future of work. Read full article here - shorturl.at/ aoEPQ

Berkshire connected

Education & Career

THE STIGMA AROUND PERIODS ACROSS THE WORLD By Charlotte Smith Period poverty and stigma is an issue across the world, in both high- and low-income countries. Countries are staring to recognise and work to break down the issue although there is still much work to be done. Here explores the situation and work in two vastly different countries suffering from the same problem. Scotland has become the first country in the world to provide free, universal access to period products. This is the result of a fouryear campaign by Scottish Labour Health spokeswoman, Monica Lennon and pressure from various grassroots campaigners. The bill places a duty on local authorities to ensure anyone who needs period products can obtain them for free, and passed unanimously through Scottish Parliament. The bill aims to tackle period poverty, which is when those on low incomes can’t afford or access suitable period products. A survey by charity Young Scot, found that one in four respondents in Scotland had struggled to access products, well above the UK average. This resulted in them using newspaper, toilet paper or anything else at their disposal, which can be both uncomfortable and unhygienic. In Scotland, period products were already funded in schools, colleges, universities and some other public places such as sports clubs. It’s not uncommon to find free products by the sinks in toilets. According to charity Bloody Good Period, period poverty has skyrocketed during the COVID-19

pandemic and they are supplying almost six times as many products as before the pandemic started. 700 packs of products went to NHS workers who were working such long hours they couldn’t get to the shops and when they did they often found empty shelves from stockpiling. Other requests were from students who were in selfisolation or had lost a part-time job or girls who had lost the safety net of free period products from schools. Packs were also sent out to refugees and homeless shelters. The bill also aims break down the stigma around periods, aiming for them to be viewed as a natural physical process instead of something to be hidden. This issue occurs all over the world to this day – The International Women’s Health Coalition found around 5000 slang words for periods in ten different languages. This can have an often-overlooked impact on girls’ education and self-esteem, as well as fuelling myths and harassment in many countries. In India, 120 million adolescent girls are uneducated on menstrual health, they are shy to talk about their periods due to taboos and superstitions. Many find themselves forbidden to touch household objects, denied entry into temples or even sent to live in a separate hut from their families. It’s also reported only 36% of India’s menstruating females use sanitary napkins, with others using potentially dangerous old rags, leaves, mud or soil. The current coronavirus pandemic has

worsened matters, with lockdown restricting people’s ability to retrieve products. Some schools do give out sanitary products and the school closure has left many struggling. With family members losing their jobs, girls worry about asking for the money to pay for products and making their families choose between food or sanitary products. The Dasra Foundation found that 71% of girls in India were unaware of menstruation until it happened to them, and 70% of mothers surveyed considered menstruation ‘dirty’. This hush hush environment has consequences – the same Dasra report found girls are absent from 20% of the school year due to their period. Furthermore, nearly 23 million girls drop out of school completely a year. Not only are their practical issues with the absence of safe toilet facilities in schools but many have issues of pain, shame and anxiety about staining their clothes. Steps are currently being made by many states to improve facilities and educational awareness, but the decades old stigma is an even bigger issue. Reaching girls to solve this has mostly come from smaller NGOs such as Menstrupedia, which publishes a comic book on menstruation in 15 languages which has reached 10,000 schools so far. Or, of course, from the students themselves, as education starts to help them break the stigma for themselves.

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28 News & Sports

Virtual Community Conversation

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