Diaspoara

DIASPORA IMMIGRATION MAGAZINE

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR EU CITIZENS’ SAIMA DUHARE HUSSAIN

Are new businesses surviving or suffering due to covid?

TELLING REAL STORIES FROM

The hidden Beauty of immigration

EDITOR’S LETTER

Hello everyone

Welcome to our first edition of Diaspora, a magazine from and to emigrants in the UK. Our purpose is to create a platform for relevant news and articles riddled with information for people who have just arrived in the UK and also highlight what is going on in our communities and home countries.

I have to point out that our amazing team is made up of excellent writers from different backgrounds and skills without which this magazine would not be possible. To them, a big thanks!

You can expect from us to bring you what is going on, what is relevant for your stay in the UK, also travel destinations and even recipes from around the world.

We welcome any feedback and suggestions. If you have a story, let us know we will contact you.

Whether you are on the tube, café, or waiting room at the GP, you can count on us for accurate unbiased content, delivered by a team that is here to stay! diasporamagazine2020@gmail.com

Yours Truly Bernardo Almeida, Diaspora magazine editor

DIASPORA CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTORS RAFAEL MAFRA Feature editor born and raised in Brazil, moved to the UK at the age in 2013, at the of 18, and has been living in London ever since. Having footbaleedel (mainly Brazilian) and cinema as favourites topics and hobbies, he is also a lover of music, travelling and experiencing and trying all the diversity that all the immigrants in London (like himself) bring to this amazing city.

Find out more about him on his Instagram account @rafaemafra and on twitter @ Rafa_Mafra

Denisa Ardelean Originally from Romania, moved to London in 2018. She loves going out with friends and staying late in the evening playing board games. Ricky Gervais is her favourite comedian and writer.

Priscille Panzu Creative Director, born in Democratic Republic of Congo, lived In France moved in the Uk in 2010 , she love travelling , reading book and learning new lannguages.

AHLAAM SHARIF Chief writer born in Somalia, moved to Yemen at two for three years then moved to uk at the age of 6 in 2006, She loves travelling and is very adventurous, she loves trying new things she has also been to 22 countries at just 21 years old and she wishes to continue travelling to experience other people’s culture . She loves fashion and makeup and loves to get creative

Trina Dawes

Sub editor ,creative writer with a passion for social justice and Immigration issues.

She has been following issues affecting the Windrush victims and a campaigner for better immigration rights. And a fairer criminal justice system. In her free time, she watches romcoms and attempts to bake cakes. As a radio presenter, she has dealt with and spoken about many issues affecting communities in London and Africa. Currently, she is working on making a documentary about police brutality.

CONTENTS 02

EDITOR'S LETTER

05

BEDBUGS REVEALS LANDLORD’S SCAMS

08

HOW LEILA POWELL BECAME AN ACADEMIC COACH

11

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR EU CITIZENS’ RIGHTS IN 2021

20

SAIMA DUHARE HUSSAIN

34

TWHAT IS IT LIKE TO MOVE TO THE UK NOT SPEAKING ENGLISH AS A CHILD.

DIASPORA MAGAZINE

R

ents in the UK are among the highest in Europe and even around the world. Two-bedroom house rent in the outskirts of the UK capital is more than £ 1,300 a month.

Bedbugs are often considered a problem of the past. It seems that even today there are surprisingly many cases of infestation with these insects. Houses, hotels and motels around the world are daily attacked by these small and flattened insects.

As bedbugs infestations become more frequent, more and more people are worried about this problem and want to know what causes it.

Bedbugs do not cling to people, but they can accidentally get into your things. From there, they move into homes, hotels, offices, hospitals or any other building or means of transportation.

Nightmare nights, whole days of disinfection!

Marie Thaut lived some terrible that she shared bed, linens and

On 1st Dec. 2020, her horror st month for that room and ended body and allergy.

Miss Thaut confessed that she rented room and the bites starte

The bites kept getting worse an clothed, even knit cap and glov was my nose and mouth, and I oil.”, she said

The landlord initially denied the that he did not know where the had the same problem with the

The landlord and harassmen

“I asked my landlord to seek pr to treat the bedbug infestation.

“Since then he has been harass

BEDBUG SCAMS

e few weeks after discovering d pillows with other creatures.

tory began. She paid £ 433 a d up with wounds all over her

found bedbugs in the recently ed from the first night.

nd she started sleeping fully ves. “The only skin exposed sprayed my neck with tea tree

e infection. The owner admitted insects came from and that he e former tenant one year ago.

nt

rofessional pest control service He became angry.”, she said.

sing me and demonstrated

“Since then he has been harassing me and demonstrated physical aggression twice (but has not hit me), with him pushing his way into my room, breaking the latch, on Tuesday 22 Dec. 2020, after which I called the police.”, Marie said.

After asking for the landlord’s help, he started sending her 8 eviction letters. In one of them, he said he wouldn’t allow anyone in his flat, and that she must leave the room by January 31.

“I told him it wouldn’t be ethical of me to move out without first treating the bedbugs so that I don’t infect my next The landlord started to chase her friend out after dropping her food and medication. He wanted to talk about his concern regarding her well-being because she doesn’t come out of her room.

“Marie was shouting at him to get out of the way and he just ignored her.”-said Svetoslav Minchev, Library assistant.

“Sure, people shouldn’t be shouting at one another, but if someone is shouting at you, you take a look around and at least try to figure out what’s matter.”, said her friend.

The owner cut off the internet because he knew it was the only way she could search for new rent and contact people.

“He knew that his wi-fi was the only internet access that I had. I needed the internet to find new housing, to order plastic boxes to store what I could save.”, Marie added.

He forced his way into her room breaking the latch, he corned Marie in the bathroom at 2 am, after he removed the lock from the bathroom door.

“I called the police again. They have told me to call again if I feel threatened.”

GS REVEALS LANDLORD’S

RENTING A NEW ROOM Looking for a new rent, Marie found the lanlord’s new ad announcing that he was looking for new tenants even though the room was full of bedbugs.

She provided evidence to Hackney Private Sector Housing Office in order to issue him an order to treat the bedbugs. They informed her that she’s actually in a Council House.

“I don’t know that when I moved in. I knew it was illegal for me to be there and I wanted to move out.”, Thaut said.

Marie chose to rent a storage facility to keep her belongings and moved to another flat.

“I’ve drafted an email to send to various government people-a single man in a family flat, enabled by the Council to abuse women by still living in a flat that a single man shouldn’t have.”, Marie said.

“I was lured by reasonable rent, by a sociopath who can hide his true nature, and was not fully victim because I stood up for myself, horribly allergic to bedbug bites, not allowing him the time to groom me for whatever ”

PROFILE

HOW LEILA POWELL BECAME AN ACADEMIC COACH Written by Priscille Panzu Picture by Leila Powel The woman who has devoted her life to helping and mentoring thousands of foreign students to receive education and obtain dream jobs.

Leila Powell 40, Academic coach, an author, and the founder of Thrive at university and mother of two energetic boys, she was born in Zimbabwe lived in Harare until 2 she claimed to be beautiful country but she originally from Algeria in North Africa.

She a brunette with unique set of brown eyes and olive skin complexion. She had a happy childhood, she never stayed in the same place because her dad was diplomat. Leila had to travelled at lot and end up making friends from different cultures and backgrounds.

In 1998 she moved in the UK to pursue her academic studies at university and began to live in Nottingham. She currently has a BA degree Sociology, Master’s degree in social policy and Administration, at the University of Nottingham. She had a strong interest in these two subjects.

Later on Powell was considering a career change she obtain a Level 6 Professional diploma in Marketing, Nottingham Trent University and NVQ Level 4 in Careers Advice and Guidance, East Midlands Consortium as part of her personal development.

For 13 years she worked in various roles for Asylum/Refugee Specialist, Leaving Care Specialist, Intergr8 Coordinator

"yes, when I was a student myself, I am deeply passionate about empowering young people to reach their full potential and become the best version of themselves."

PROFILE

" I believe that with education, one can change their own lives as well as the lives of others by contributing to create stronger communities and happy society for everyone." She stated.

D I A S P O R A MA G A Z I N E

Powell also said that "I witnessed poverty and suffering in some of the countries I lived in. Which made me want to helping students to believe in themselves, reach their goals and secure their dream jobs so that they can have a happy and fulfilling life, in turn they will support and help others is my way of making the world a better place. I strongly believe in giving back and encourage my students to pay it forward and give back too."

MARCH 2020

"A well-written book that's concise and straight to the point. It is packed with incredibly useful and relevant advice, especially to someone who has never been to the UK. Young or old, this book is a must-have roadmap to navigating life in the UK as an international student!" she said.

The book highly informative and motivational it easy to read; she highly recommended."

Unlike other books, this book combines career advice, healthy living, self-development, and strategic planning – all of which contribute to Writing the book students' success in higher education.

"I always wanted to write a book. I wrote poems Leila Powell stopped working to follow a different when I was in high school; one was published in path. She started to write a book and set up her the local newspaper, she said. own business to help more people.

Leila Powell husband was involved when his wife The book was published in 2020. The book is was writing the book. “He encouraged me with his named 'You've got this!' Steps to Successful light-hearted and positive attitude.” She said. studying in the UK". It provides international "He made me loads of cups of tea when I was students with all the essential practical knowledge working late in my office, that also helped! He they require to build a strong foundation for describes her as Loving, passionate, beautiful, successful integration and academic success in the inspirational, funny, easy-going, and selfless.

UK, to help international students navigate university life with ease and achieve success at To helped more international students Leila university and post-graduation.

Powell is working on an online course and coaching programmes that will be launching in the next few months.

LEILA TOP TIPS TTAKE A PROACTIVE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO LEARNING

Fully immerse yourself in your academic environment and embrace every opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills ,within and outside of your university RECOGNISE THAT THERE MAY NEVER BE BETTER TIME TO FULLY FOCUS ON YOUR LEARNING

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

8

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DIASPORA MAGAZINE

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR EU RIGHTS IN 2021 The 3 million, the largest campaign organisation for EU citizens in the UK, invited three panellists into a virtual event to discover what to expect after leaving the European Union.

The host of the event was Luke Piper, Immigration lawyer and head of policy & advocacy.

Luke opened the event with a presentation about the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement. They identified three groups of people they anticipate are going to have problems in 2021, in terms of accessing the rights.

He was talking about the first group of people, those who’ve not applied yet for the Settlement schemes. They need to secure their rights to stay in the United Kingdom.

He was talking about the first group of people, those who’ve not applied yet for the Settlement schemes. They need to secure their rights to stay in the United Kingdom.

He pointed out that even if this scheme were to be as successful as the most successful transition scheme that the government has ever done, which was the transition from analogue to digital TV

where the uptake was 97%, th sands of people who are at risk

Luke said ”For those that misse of June, they will face some qu

”It will start with lots of micro inst struggle to exercise rights that we before, for example, to work, rent, getting married is going to be a ch secure their status.” he said.

The second category of people applied but are awaiting grant o body is waiting for a decision, t more problems it presents.”

He admitted that there are a lot of to apply but are struggling to do so lems with accessing identify docum forms, ID documents, and because limitation of accessibility of service

U CITIZENS’

here will be hundreds of thouk of being able to appling.

ed the deadline, at the end uite serious consequences.”

tances, where people will e used to be able to exercise access bank accounts, even hallenge for people who don’t

e were those who have of status.”The longer somethe more impact and the

people who know they need o. People are having probments, completing paper e of the Covid pandemic, the es will affect people’s life.

“It's no coincidence then that some of the most vulnerable people will particularly fall into that category.” added Luke.

The third category of people are those who have been granted pre-settled status.

More than half of the population of people who have this form of status, the biggest problem with this category is that there is no equality in rights between people who have settled and pre-settled status.

After the presentation he let the panellist speak.

The first speaker was Marieke Widmann, Children’s Society. She explained her concern about the number of children and young people who will not have applied or will not secure the status by the deadline.

”The home office had estimated there were 9000 children care and care leavers who would need to secure their status through the USS.” ”We have often raised our concerns about the fact that these children are difficult to identify and that a lot won’t be identified.”, she said.

After Marieke, the discussion was placed to Ovilia Vicol, CEO of Work Rights Centre who was talking about the employment rights issues.

Employers started to ask people to show pre or settled status even if the government was very clear about the passports and IDs are enough until the 30th of June 2021. ”That is an unnecessary requirement, it is impossible suffice, but it happened.” ”They really have serious repercussions on people’s livelihoods and their mental health, their sense of self-esteem, especially when we have this age-old narrative of the good migrant being the working migrant.”, Ovilia explained.

The last panellist was Madeleine Sumption, Migration Observatory of Oxford University.

She was talking about the challenges that come up from a research and data perspective about how many people haven’t applied.

More than 4 million concluded applications they don’t have anything to compare the number of EU citizens in the UK. That is why it is difficult to estimate how many European citizens did not apply for status. ”We have some estimates of the size of the EU population, 3 million. The number of EU citizens living in the UK is almost certainly higher than that the official figures suggest.”

Caroline Yeo, one of the event participants admitted that she attended the event because she is interested in European issues. ”The event was a realisation and deeper appreciation of how freedom of movement post-Brexit affects children as well as adults.”, Yeo said.

PAIXAO

Are new businesses surviving or suffering due to covid?

Written by Priscille Panzu

S

tarting businesses during lockdown is surprisingly easy compared to the years before.

Ten year ago, people were taking loans to start up a business but currently, the society we are living in has changed. Social media and apps have altered the way people are doing businesses; more people are working as freelances and becoming their own boss. People are opening an outlet in the comfort of their own home, sell clothes online and even rent a place to start independent businesses with their own money.

More and more of us prefer to work for ourselves, make our own income instead of working for corporations and the advantage of being your own boss is the flexibility of hours and make money for yourself.

Since the lockdown started online businesses had made extra money due the fact that clothing store are shut down. People who prefer to go into the store they are now forces to shop online because of the restriction. Which lead people to start up a business and sells essential items such as masks and hand sanitizer and clothes.

Millennials don’t want to be employees; they want to work when it suits them. Now with the lockdown it has encouraged them to work from home which could be huge motivation as the have times in their hands.

With the impact of coronavirus, many of us were affected financially and seeking alternative financial revenues.

For Candice McClain, 22 founder of an Instagram clothing line (Paixao), she stated that this pandemic has benefited her business as she has made more money compare to last year .

She said that “I launched my business last year without any business background or studies, I was inspired by different clothing line. I created my logo through my personal experience and hope to inspire other people who is thinking to start a business.

Success doesn’t happen overnight it take its time to blossom. “Be free to do whatever you want and have a passion.” Candice added, people should not be afraid of what others may think.”Arida Makombo, 29, graduated a couple of years ago in business administrate. She decided to pursue her dream of becoming a hairdresser as it was her a passion.

“From the age of seven, I knew how to do hair without any training. When I reached the age of twelve, I started to do hair, and this continued till today. the person who inspired me to do hair is my grandma, I love the way she styled her hair, and I wanted to be just like her.” She said.

Making a wig is hard work. It demands focus and patience because you want to avoid mistakes. All my wig are sewed and handmade, and it takes approximately two hours to make a wig.

I charge £100 to make a wig which includes styling. I get my hair and extensions from “AliExpress”.

Unsuccessful Businesses Starting an online business is easy, but it may be not easy to sustain a successful business for many years. According to Forbes and Huff Post, 90% of online business fail within their first 120 days of operation.

The vast majority fail due to poor online marketing performance and the lack of research.

According to Growth Intelligence, up to 85,000 businesses launched online stores in the past four months. It is difficult for businesses to reach new customers. Due to lack online visibility and that plays a main factor.Makombo business has experienced significant fallback because her job as hairdresser required face to face customer service. Due to pandemic, she is forced social distancing and business suffered as the result of pandemic.

“I set up Instagram and selling my premade wigs I know it enough that I can only do until the lockdown is eased. She said.

As she said that her sells are extremely low as she is barely making income for herself McClain said: “The process of making the

clothing is never easy it takes a lot of designing and be creative. “Covid 19 had a massive impact on the business as we had many delays in getting the clothing on time, we experience delays with photoshoots, but it was worth it in the end.”

Overall, this pandemic has open door for new business ideas. Someone people were able to profit from it and some didn’t.

Profiles

SAIMA DUHARE HUSSAIN Written by Denisa Ardelean

Entrepreneur, Muslim and a inspiration .

T

he Muslim population has crossed the 3 million mark in the UK. According to a survey between April 2017 to March 2018, published by Office for National Statistics, the Muslim population is the second community in the UK after Christians, with 3,372,966 people.

As the Muslim population grow, so it’s the necessity of food.

Saima Duhare Hussain is the founder of the UK’s First Halal Recipe Box in April 2019, Halal Fresh.

She loves eating and feeding people, experimenting with different types of cuisines and taste, which is why she wanted to start this business so to extend to other people.

Unlike other meal box subscriptions, Halal Fresh is targeting a specific area: London’s Muslim Community. It intends to operate in Birmingham (and worldwide) in the future to cover a large area of the Muslim’s community.

“Within the Muslim community, women are known to be the cooks in the house, so it’s encouraged a lot of their husbands to start cooking, which is nice.”, said Saima.

“Is really nice for me to hear that I’m making a change, and I’m making an impact in people’s households, and they enjoy cooking. They enjoy the process, they enjoy the fact that we offer different cuisines, varied from 10 different cuisines.”

Living into a wide cultural environment influences you She came to the United Kingdom when she was 4 years old from Pakistan. Grew up in Birmingham until she moved to London when she was 18

years old. “I love Birmingham, it’s my city. Would I change where I grew up? No, not at all. It’s a great place to grow up.”, she said.

“I’ve been in different environments, around

different people. I have Spanish, Italian friends, English friends, French friends, so different types of people have had brought that knowledge to me and made me more aware of different cultures and traditions.”, she said.

“The more people you hang out with from diverse backgrounds, the better you become at being a people’s person.”, Saima said.

Adapting to an environment as diverse as the United Kingdom can be as difficult as it is beneficial. People often misunderstand this term and view cultural diversity as a threat.

England is by definition a multicultural country, which is one of its strengths. The openness and understanding that interaction with people from different cultures and backgrounds can give you are invaluable.

“It’s being open when you’re growing up and be able to absorb everything and not be narrow-minded on things. And that helps and enables you.”, she said.

Starting this journey Saima opened her eyes to this journey back in 2016, when she planned how she was going to integrate herself into the world of food.

She spent a lot of time with people within the food industry, going to festivals, to events, speaking to people and contacting people.

Her biggest motivation was serving her c ommunity, encourage them to eat healthy and encourage to cook without worrying about what to eat every evening.

The passion has driven her to open the first halal recipe box that has 45 different ingredients in it.

“Believe in yourself, and as long as you do things with integrity, within honesty, and passion, it takes longer to get where you need to get to, but you will always get there.”, Saima said.

“And that’s something that I’ve learned in life without being patient, it’s about believing in yourself and knowing that whatever is presented to you, whatever challenges is part and parcel of growth, that never ends.”

“The more you want to learn to grow, and learn, the better you will become every single day at what you do.”

Family and friends, support and inspiration Her “heart of gold” inspired others. “Saima is one of the hardest working people I know. She sets the bar very high and is always determined to succeed.”, said one of her closest friends, Stuart Lancaster.

He admitted that she works 15 hours a day to make sure she delivers, works with charities and gives her own time to others. “Never gives up, always aspiring to be the best. There is no stopping this girl.”

A 30 years old friendship with Bal transformed into a family connection, even if they are no related.

“She’s not afraid to do things, not afraid of what people think, unpredictable and her willingness to do anything, that definitely inspires me.”, Bal said.

Saima comes from a household of cooks that inspired her. Saima’s mother taught her about the importance of working hard and the value of life.

She confessed that her mother was always by her side and supported her in everything she did.

“If it wasn’t for my mother, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Palmeiras performance in FIFA C about Brazilian Football Written by Rafael Esteves Mafra

P

elé, Ronaldo, Romario, Ronaldinho, Zico, Falcão, Garrincha. What do they have in common? If you answered that they’re all football players, you got it right. If you guessed they’re all Brazilians you got it right as well. But if you said that they all are Brazilian football players, then you got it really right.

Brazil is a country that breathes football and, beyond that, it is a country that is openly proud of its tradition in the sport to the extent that they call themselves “the country of football”.

But things have changed. Everybody in Brazil knows that Brazilian clubs are not able to face Europeans with big hopes as they used to in the old days.

The fact that clubs from the country have struggled in the fixtures against clubs from Asia, Africa and North America and mainly the fact that Palmeiras had the worst performance of a South-American country in the Club World Cup lit the red light in the country: Is this what Brazilian football really is?

Mikael Ferreira, 27, is a fan of Atlético-Mg, that lost for Raja Casablanca in 2013 in the semi-finals of the CWC, said: “I still believe that Brazilian Football is one of the best in the world, but nowadays the acquisitive power that Brazil has, the currency Brazil has, are not as attractive as other centres like China, as EUA and others middle-eastern countries get to be and consequently their teams get more competitive”.

To many, Fifa Club World Cup is more about financial power than The discussion regarding the technical quality shown in local tournaments is taken to a deeper level as Brazilian Football has one of the craziest calendars in the whole world. When Palmeiras went to play the CWC, they had already played in the actual season 68 games, 56 of these played in the last 6 months (around of 9-10 per month).

The calendar will be a reason for more c season finishes at the end of the year. Be caused by the coronavirus, there will be current and next seasons and no holida

Club World Cup raises concerns

complains this year, as in Brazil the ecause of the rescheduling of matches e no pre-season period between the ays for the players as well.

These concerns are not limited to the local clubs, but is also always discussed regarding their national team.

It has been almost 20 years since Brazil won the World Cup the last time, which is already the second biggest period without winning it since they first got it in 1958 - the biggest was 24 years between 1970 and 1994 - and there is no optimism in Brazil for the next editions of the tournament.

As if this was not enough, during this particular period Brazilians got to see ‘in loco’ their own national team be punished by the Germans in a 7-1 defeat, which is said to be the worst defeat in Brazil’s history - 7-1 became a synonym of a fiasco in Brazil.

In Brazil, there is a lot of criticism regarding the players that do so well in Europe but haven’t performed in the same way in the ‘Seleção’ (that’s how Brazilians call their national team).

Tom Sanderson, a journalist that follows Brazilian football and writes about it in his blog ‘Yellow and Green’, said in an interview for Diaspora that he doesn’t see any specific reason for these differences in their performances, but sees the future of the national team more positively.

“Brazil in 2018 were a team in transition, with a new coach and still missing a few pieces. I think they’ll be a lot better prepared for the next World Cup, after more time with Tite, and have so many great young players coming through while the veterans will be at their peak,” Tom said.

The country that gave the world characters such as the ones mentioned at the beginning and many others, is used to being the protagonist in every competition they would get in. However, now, they discuss where all this protagonism has gone.

Online tour on Alfred Hitchcock’ Lon the lockdown Written by Rafael Esteves Mafra

Saturday night, at 8 o’clock. In normal

times, if there is such a thing, you’d probably find yourself out in a bar, club, pub, cinema restaurant, visiting someone, but probably you wouldn’t rather stay at home.

You would prefer to go out and do something, but unfortunately, you can’t in times like these.

But what if you found out that there is a way now to go on tours, have fun and have a lovely time without breaking lockdown rules? Would you like that? Seems too good to be true? Well, it isn’t. The online tour provided by London Walks, guided by the actor Richard Burnip, on Alfred Hitchcock’s London offers all that and beyond.

Alfred Hitchcock was a Londoner and London was where most of his films took place until his moving to Hollywood. In this tour, the online-tourists get to know Hitchcock in a very particular and specific way, by his relationship with London and how it inspired him as a filmmaker.

One of the ways the tour does that is by showing his care with the logistic of the film and how detailed he was when it came to maps.

Anthony Shearer, 20, is a film student in London, attended the tour for the first time, claims to have had a great experience: “The tour was highly informative and was delivered quite quickly and to the point. There was not a high amount of unnecessary padding, this meant that the tour never got boring.”

Another effect the tour may have on the tourists is that it may change even their

perspective about the director. Anthony told Diaspora that it happened to him: “It made Alfred Hitchcock seem more relatable…

Before I saw Hitchcock as a famous Hollywood director, but I was reminded that he was just as an aspiring filmmaker as the rest of us.”

One of the merits of the tour is revealing the meanings hidden in every specific detail that Hitchcock purposely included in the scene. Things that the audience normally wouldn’t pay much attention, but reveals his care and genius mind within every element of a story, such as the bus 25, or Westminster Cathedral - if you want to find out about these, watch the tour.

Before coronavirus and lockdown, the tour was carried out physically, by actually visiting the places. However, with the coronavirus crisis, it had to be adapted.

Richard Burnip, the tour guide, talked to Diaspora about this particular situation.

He said: “The biggest challenge in putting this particular tour into virtual format was deciding what to leave out. I didn’t want to do just the obvious locations and the bestknown films.”

He also mentioned his own adaptation as the tour guide: “…it wasn’t too big a stretch, and I already had a large library of material to use… But a year ago if you’d asked me about Zoom, I hadn’t got a clue.

Fortunately one of my London Walks colleagues offered masterclasses on it!”

ndon: a smart way to escape Being online means that people from the whole world can attend the tour, which is different from physical tours. About that, Richard said: “…with the virtual tour is not only that people who aren’t able to travel can join it, but also people who, for a variety of reasons, would not be able to join a guided walk even in normal circumstances.

It’s great to be able to reach as many people as are interested.”

The public attending the online tour was varied. There were people from the UK and the US, from different range of ages, singles and couples. As Richard said: “People do seem to enjoy the virtual tours. I’m staggered by the range that my colleagues offer, and new ones are being added all the time.”

There are other tours you may choose to go for, such as P. G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle/Sherlock Holmes. You can find tickets and more information on Eventbrite and London Walks website. The tickets cost about £10 and the tours last about an hour and are open for Q&A at the end. And here is a tip, if you choose Hitchcock’s one by the end, you will leave the tour wanting to watch a Hitchcock film made in London.

Maria, Mother of Lambeth

By Bernardo Almeida

If you live in Lambeth or Stockwell, chances are you have seen her. If you need or have needed welfare advice, you probably have heard of her. Maria Marques is the go-to person when you need help.

Maria is the youngest of eight siblings, daughter of a farmer father and a stay-at-home mother, in the upper northern region of Portugal, Vila Real.

She spent her childhood watching her father produce wine and olive oil to make ends meet. “I remember stepping on grapes with my family every weekend,” said Maria, now 42. “My childhood was so simple, I was surrounded by chickens and pigs every day.”

At the age of 18, she was forced to leave her hometown after her mother told her that she needed to go to London to help one of her brothers, who at the time was getting a divorce. “My mother basically told me that family came first and my brother needed support,” said Maria.

20 years later, Maria Marques has made a home in South London and has become transformed into a living Lambeth landmark.

After being accidentally at the Stockwell Partnership, which is located at South Lambeth Road, she now delivers welfare advice for hundreds of people every working day.

Welcome to hell Maria remembers when she first arrived in the UK back in 97. “I was scared and frustrated. Vila Real is perhaps half the size of Stockwell, and I didn’t speak a word of English,” she says.

“When my sister picked me up from Gatwick, the first thing she said was: ‘Welcome to hell, your happy days just ended’.”

Maria first started as a babysitter along with her sister, and also worked as an office cleaner. “I used to wake up at 5 am to clean an office for two hours and then come back home to take care of eleven children,” she recalls.

“I only got paid 40 quid for the office work and my sister didn’t pay me at all.” The money was taken out to pay for her food, clothes and a bed. “I cried so much, all I wanted to do was to go back to Portugal,” Maria said.

But in 1998, Maria’s luck began to change. She found more houses to clean and was finally saving enough money to move out. “It was an easy job for me. I was used to helping my mother back home and I enjoyed cleaning,” Maria said.

Stairway to sainthood In 2001, Maria finally landed a job that turned into a career, going on for twenty years. She helps people with their letters, their welfare rights and duties and provides tax advice to whoever shows up at her door.

John McCay, 73, is Maria’s line manager at Stockwell Partnership, a charity that is well established inside the Portuguese community.

He still treasures the memory of how they first met.

“I was waiting for someone else to fill the position and they never showed up. Maria was there asking for work advice and I hired her over a bottle of wine,” said John.

“What surprised me the most was much information Maria was able to take in such little time. She knew all the answers when people came in and asked her questions.”

John was also very impressed with Maria’s people skills. “They all fell in love with her soon as they came in through the door,” said John. But she didn’t take any bullshit either. If you wanted to fill a fake application you didn’t go to Maria.”

This is how Maria built her career and reputation in the community, according to John.

“If you use the words ‘Maria said’, then its considered Gospel truth.”

Alcina Kuouawssi, 36, a Portuguese advocate working for Hestia (NGO), was a volunteer under Maria’s guid ance. She regards Maria as an excellent and patient supervisor.

“Everyday people lined up to talk to her and even though she was super busy, she always took the time to help me with everything I needed,” said Alcina.

Alcina was particularly surprised at how quickly Maria was passing on more and more responsibility to her. “I was able to take care of a whole group of pensioners because Maria was always giving tips and advice.”

Alcina got to witness first-hand the feedback from Maria´s clients and they were waiting to talk to her. “Everybody loved her.

It’s like God is in Heaven and Maria on the Earth.”

Looking back at her career, Maria says simply that she just happened to show up at the right place at the right time.

“There was and still is an enormous need inside the community and that is why I do what I do. That and the knowledge I have gained over the years.”

Around 700,000 Portuguese live in the UK; most of them in the Lambeth and Stockwell area.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO MOVE TO THE UK NOT SPEAKING ENGLISH AS A CHILD. WRITTEN BY TRINA DAWES

T

hroughout the world, many people pick up and leave, bringing their children with them to another country where they do not speak the language. In which the children who are making these life-changing journeys in a crucial time in their school years.

Figures released by Office of National Statistics in 2018 in the United Kingdom, it is estimated that there were 8.1 million pupils in state-funded schools in England. Of these, 1.6 million (19%) were recorded as having English as an additional language. For these children, they may encounter bullying and isolation.

This cases study is about three children who came to the UK when they were in primary school.

Klaudia Bojaniwska arrived in the UK when she was eight years old. She talked about her first memories coming to London and not speaking English. She said her biggest surprise was more the culture shock, arriving from Poland in June 1998. She said: "In Poland, there were no black people, and my brother was not comfortable around ethnic minorities. "Our step-dad, who was a Jamaican man taught us English to the best of his ability. "It was difficult because he spoke with a strong accent.”

She mentioned on my first day in school, she missed lunch because no one told her what to do. She explained she sat in the classroom alone while the teacher and the other pupils left. “I felt embarrassed, nervous and hungry.

“I would never forget that day; it felt like the worst day of my life.

"Moving to a new country and school, eve rything was different, even the food.”

D'angelo Evangelau spokesperson for Dwight School London said: “We teach English as an additional language for those who need to use the program. He added the school supports children who need help with socializing. He said: “We have a buddy programs at the school. “Where new pupils are shown around schools and told the secrets of school. “The buddies help children make new friends by including them into their friendship groups.”

Czarek Pawplszczak said he came to the UK at four-years-old. He said: "Because I came here when I was so young everything was all new to me, so I didn't know any different. "England very quickly became all I knew, and Polish became my second language.”

The third case study is of Juel Saddique, he said: “It was a complete shock I came when I was seven years old. “The biggest surprise was it was completely different than Bangladeshi. “I had to go to school on my own and make new friends who were hard because I couldn’t speak a word of English. It took me 3 to 6 months to learn English it was relatively easy to learn. I had a Bengali teacher gave me extra lessons to learn English.

“The culture shock was also about the lifestyle that British people led. “It had laid back approach then I became basically normal to me.”

The cases studies showed that moving to another country which is not of the mother tongue of the children can influence their social and mobility skills. However, in the long term, these children are likely to catch up with support from their teachers, families and peers.

In 2018 statistics released by from the Department for Education (DfE) showed almost 30 per cent of four and five-year-old’s lacked the early communication skills. Evidence suggest that young people with poor vocabulary at age

five are more than twice as likely to be unemployed aged 34 as children with a good vocabulary.

That is the conclusion of new research from the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) and funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Finds that an increased presence of children who do not speak English as their first language is not disadvantageous to the educational achievement of native English speakers.

Evidence from Catholic schools attended by the children of Polish immigrants suggests that the presence of non-English speakers might in some cases, have a positive effect on natives’ results.

In primary schools in the UK, non-native English speakers in primary schools in have increased by a third to around 12% over the past 10 years. This has led some commentators fearing a detrimental impact on native English speakers as teachers time is taken up supporting children who are not native English language speakers.

Yet several studies have shown that first and second-generation immigrants are typically better educated than the native population.

Aries (March 21–April 19) From December 1 to 20, communicator Mercury in your ninth house of higher learning and adventure will have you feeling insatiably curious and fired up to soak up knowledge however possible. Consider researching opportunities for continuing education or planning future long-distance travel. Anticipating a future trip or the beginning of a class can feel enlivening

Leo (July 23–August 22) You might be drawn to research new solutions for an ongoing wellness concern while communicator Mercury is in your sixth house of wellness from December 20 to January 8. Whether you're conferring with trusted experts or health care providers, reading books friends have recommended, or experimenting with a research-proven plan, you'll feel as though information-gathering now can ultimately help you boost your well-being.

Taurus (April 20–May 20) Though it's a bit out of character for you, you might find yourself itching to shake up your wellness routine from December 21 to January 21 while the confident sun is in your ninth house of higher learning and adventure. You might enjoy experimenting with a new workout app or honing your skills in a class you've always loved (think: boxing or dance cardio). The more you're able to broaden your horizons, the more of a confidence and energy boost you'll enjoy.

Virgo (August 23–September 22) You’re frequently on a mission to find and perfect the self-care and fitness plan that will serve you best, Virgo, and the stars are aligned for you to do just that while lucky Jupiter makes its first trip of the year through your sixth house of wellness from December 19 to May 13, 2021. Whether you sign up for a new meditation course, connect with long-distance friends through a YouTube workout channel you all love, or learn new healthy cooking techniques, your everyday efforts to improve your well-being will pay off.

Libra (September 23–October 22) You could worry you're at risk of information overload when it comes to a wellness concern around December 14, when the solar eclipse and the new moon falls in your third house of communication.

Take a step back to check in with your intuition and allow yourself time to process what you've learned before moving forward. It could help you feel calmer and more prepared for whatever's on the horizon.

Cancer (June 21–July 22) Around December 14, when the solar eclipse and new moon lights up your sixth house of wellness, you might be feeling antsy to dive into a new fitness challenge or approach to nutritious eating. Though this is absolutely a moment in which positive, passionate changes can more readily happen, make sure to give yourself enough time to check in with your gut and gather all relevant info before making any sweeping commitments. That way, you'll feel even more confident moving into this next chapter.

Horoscopes

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Gemini (May 21–June 20) Around December 21 when taskmaster Saturn pairs up with lucky Jupiter in your ninth house of higher learning, you could feel a sense of accomplishment around how you've worked to expand your horizons and hone your fitness skill set.

Whether you ran your first 5K this year or learned to mountain bike, you'll realize you deserve to give yourself props for your efforts and progress before contemplating how you can take your game plan to the next level.

Scorpio (October 23–November 21) Connecting with friends and colleagues on shared passions comes even more naturally while messenger Mercury is in your third house of communication from December 20 to January 8. Trading notes on your favourite streaming workouts, joining a social media group as a source of support, or signing up to participate in a Whole30 challenge can be an inspiring, wellness-bolstering way to tie up 2020 and kick-off 2021.

Sagittarius (November 22–December 21) While fortunate Jupiter moves through your third house of communication from December 19 to May 13, 2021, you might find that eye-opening experiences related to your wellness routine have you feeling even more vital.

Think: taking a yoga teacher training or planning a future trip to a retreat. Connecting with people outside of your usual social circle and expanding your knowledge about spirituality and health can prove rejuvenating.

Capricorn (December 22–January 19)

You can look forward to a burst of self-assuredness and focus while the confident sun is in your sign from December 21 to January 21. This can be an opportune time to set ambitious fitness goals (like aiming for a new strength PR or hiking a particularly gruelling trail). You’ll feel a renewed sense of pride in your sense of self and growing accomplishments.

Aquarius (January 20–February 18) Around December 29, when the full moon is in your sixth house of wellness, you could be frustrated if you feel like you’ve had to put your health and well-being on hold to accommodate to-dos in other areas of your life.

Dedicate time to set up doctor appointments, scheduling workouts, or mapping out any other essential day-to-day routines, and you’ll be able to take a deep breath knowing you’re right on track.

Pisces (February 19–March 20) Your friends can help you stay enthusiastic about your current fitness plan while communicator Mercury is in your eleventh house of networking from December 20 to January 8. Whether you’re sharing tips on the best meditation instructor on an app you’re both using or keeping one another company on the phone while taking your midday walk, infusing your wellness efforts with more social vibe have you feeling supported and even more psyched to keep it up!

JOB OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYEMENT

HIRING DRIVERS - £150.25 - £180.00

FIXER DRYLINING PRICE WORK

We are looking for reliable people, hardworking and passionate, who can succeed in an accelerated environment.

Successful drivers always put safety first and care deeply about the customer!

Duration 1 year, payment every 2 weeks.

Must have CSCS card and own Minimum 2 year experience in price work Good level of English PHONE: 07933592102

PHONE: 07388171457 E-mail: recruiting@lblogistics.co.uk DUMPER ROLLER DRIVER

ELECTRICIAN JOB

Cavendish Professionals is looking for a tipper / roller driver in E4.

The job is long lasting.

Payment is made weekly CSCS AND CPCS are required for Dumper roller.

Company with the field in electrical installations is looking for electricians for interior installations in apartments as well as for common spaces in blocks.

- minimum level of english - tools needed to perform work - qualifications in the field -necessary experience

PHONE: 07889806024

PHONE: 07977510828 DUSTBUSTERS CLEANING AGENCY We are looking for experienced and talented cleaning staff to join our growing team in south west London.

PHONE: 07827968486

WE HAVE JOBS FOR MEN AND WOMEN, PHILLIP LTD. We hire women for cleaning at hotels £9,50 per hour 8 hours a day 6/7 days , and for men we have jobs in construction sites £13.5 an hour , 5 days out of 7 can do over time too and get paid £15 per hour.

NAIL TECHNICIAN JOB

TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN SMART PRODUCTS

At Eman salon, we are looking for experienced nail technicians who can offer all types of manicure services to a high standard. All people who apply for this job must have at least 2 years of experience and be passionate about the field.

We are looking for a person who has medium-advanced knowledge about Smart Products (especially products based on the TUYA platform - Smart Life). Also, basic knowledge in the electrical field is required. Proper knowledge of written and spoken English is essential for this role.

PHONE: +40758231737

Phone: 0208 452 6600

NETO RECRUITMENT AGENCY 02078199300 CV@NETOS.CO.UK

JOKES

1.The bell rang for school to start and John walked in late. Mr. Clark asked, "John, why are you late?" He replied, "I was on Cherry Hill." Then he sat down. Ten minutes later Nathan walked in late and Mr. Clark repeated, "Why are you late?" Nathan answered, "I was on top of Cherry Hill."

Five minutes later Kevin walked in late and Mr. Clark said to him, "Kevin, where have you been?"

Kevin replied, "I was on Cherry Hill." Ten minutes later a girl walked in the classroom and Mr. Clark asked, "Hi there, what's your name?" The girl replied, "Cherry Hill.

2. Three brothers are traveling along a road, and their car dies. They all get out of the car, and start walking to a barn that's a little ways away. When they get their, the farmer comes out of the barn, and offers them a room for one night. He says to the first one, "You can sleep with the pigs," the second guy," you can sleep with the cows", and the third guy, "I like the cut of your jib. You can sleep with my 18 daughters." The next morning, he asks everyone how they slept. The first man said, "I slept like a pig." The second man said ,"I slept like a cow." The third guy said, "I slept like a rabbit. I jumped from hole, to hole, to hole."

3. Why was six scared of seven?

Because seven "ate" nine.

4.What happens to a frog's car when it breaks down?

It gets toad away.

5.Do not be racist; be like Mario. He's an Italian plumber, who was made by the Japanese, speaks English, looks like a Mexican, jumps like a black man, and grabs coins like a Jew!

6.How is Christmas like your job? You do all the work and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

£2.50