National Windrush Day

Apparently today is National Windrush Day, although you wouldn’t know it if you just read the news headlines. 

It’s the official day to commemorate / acknowledge / apologise for / feel ashamed about the Windrush scandal, depending on your nationality, colour of skin, previous voting history etc. 

I confess that I don’t know the full story of Windrush. I was working a late shift when the recent documentary was on and I’ve not managed to watch it yet. And the book on Black British history that I’m reading hasn’t got to the twentieth century yet. 

So my knowledge is limited, but I do know that it’s another chapter of British history that we can’t feel proud of, that it’s another example of appalling treatment of innocent people, that it resulted in broken lives, fractured families, massive injustices. 

I will learn more about Windrush - it’s the least I can do as a white middle-class Brit. I owe it to those who were so badly wronged. 

But whilst my schedule means I can’t do all that today, what I can do is mark National Windrush Day by writing this, honour those who were wronged, and say ‘I’m sorry’. 

World Refugee Day

In 2018, UNHCR estimated that there were 70.8 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. In 2019 the number had risen to 79.5 million and, of that number, it is estimated that 30-34 million are CHILDREN – that’s more than the entire populations of Australia, Denmark and Mongolia combined. The number is going up, it's going in the wrong direction ☹.

And whilst the numbers sound awful enough, bear in mind that these numbers are not just numbers, not just points on a graph, or data fed into a statistics analysis. 

Each number is a person – a man, a woman, a child; mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters.  Each number is someone who is loved, but due to the circumstances that they find themselves in is struggling to find the love in the world as they flee from conflict, persecution, terror.

One of the organisations that CRED partners with is ILA-Uganda, an incredible organisation that gives support to both Internally Displaced People, and to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. It is an honour to be a very small part of their story, and on this day I encourage you to find out more about what they, and other similarly-focused organisations are doing. https://www.ilauganda.org/change-the-story

To see the full report released by UNHCR today go to: https://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends2019/

 

with thanks to UNHCR, Tricia deBoer and ILA for photos and background data

Rhodes down

I was pleased to see on the news this morning that Oriel College in Oxford have agreed to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes. Shame that it still needs to go through a number of other stages before it can actually be taken down, but whenever that happens, I’m sure it will be done with an adequate amount of publicity and a suitable explanation of all the unsavoury sides to his life that, in the current climate led to this decision. And about time too. Actually, is unsavoury’ the right word? No, I think I prefer ‘downright exploitative and inhumane’ and certainly not actions to be celebrated.

image courtesy of Reuters

In the coming weeks and months I am sure there will be conversations, debates, campaigns and possible removal of various other statues around the country. Statues of people who were once celebrated for what they had achieved, but when considered in the cold light of day, from a more multi-ethnic perspective, can only be seen as people who didn’t do anything to revered, but instead caused untold amounts of suffering, injustice and pain, and who instigated and instilled deep and long-lasting prejudice, racism and inequality.

And that’s good – we need to be rid of these ‘monuments’ that glorify these people. Put them in a museum, contextualise their actions, give a broader perspective to what they did, rewrite the history books…..Yes do all that.

But at the same time, we need to ensure that the conversation doesn’t just go down the historical route.

We also need to keep at the forefront of the conversation the issue of racism and inequality that exists today. Why is it that more BAME young men are stopped by police than white young men? Why is it that more people from BAME are at risk of CV-19 than white people? Why is it that people from BAME feel that they have to work twice as hard as anyone else, just to try and get the same outcomes? Why is it that the employment prospects for BAME people are lower than their white counterparts? Etc etc.

This all needs to be addressed, and proper actions taken – policies reviewed, new laws put in place, systemic racism outlawed, systemic bias uncovered and overturned.

Because if we only talk about the past, and we don’t address the present, we aren’t going to make any positive impact on the future. And without that – well, what sort of a society are we? Certainly not one I want to be part of.

Black Lives Matter amidst a pandemic

Black Lives Matter - period, end of, no question.

The recent events and gatherings that have taken place across the globe as a result of the awful death of George Floyd, and the manner in which it happened, are an outpouring of the inner anger and pent up frustration of many ethnic communities, accompanied by the desire to show solidarity, penance and apology by members of the non-ethnic communities for the role of those communities through  history in getting to wear we are today. Its been a time when members of the white majority communities are wanting to ask forgiveness and to show that they want a new way by standing arm in arm with those of a different skin colour.

And in normal times, this would all be very excellent, and hopefully the start of a permanent change in society. A time when the old ways, and those who prefer the old ways, are called to account, and called to change. A time when new ways are forged, that are better ways, more equal ways. A time when those who haven't really thought much about all this before, start to think, and realise how wrong they've been, and change their attitude to a new way of thinking that reflects equality for all.

But these aren't normal times.
These are times of a global pandemic, when standing shoulder to shoulder with others is dangerous, and risks sparking a new wave of CV-19, just at a time when countries are sort of, kind of, getting to a bit of a grip with overcoming then first wave.

I really want George Floyd's death to be the start of something new, and positive, for people who have always felt to be 'other'. I really want his death to be the start of a reduction in 'otherness' and a building of 'togetherness' and unity and equality.

But would George want it to be done at the risk of an increase in CV-19? Already it has been shown that this virus is more dangerous to those of BAME heritage - what an awful irony it would be if even more of that group got CV-19 as a result of standing in protests against anything that targets them negatively.

So, for those reasons I won't be attending any rallies, or protests.
It's not because I don't care.
It's because I do care.

I'll be writing to my MP, and I'll keep on writing until I get a reply from him with proof of what he is doing to fight racism.
I'll be reading up to make sure I am more properly informed, and not just influenced by 'white-written' history.
I'll be looking inwards at my own motivations, and seeking repentance and forgiveness for any racism that I inadvertently show / think / say.

But I won't be attending any rallies or protests. I don't want to give the virus an upper hand. I don't want George's death to be in vain, by adding to a situation where more BAME people could end up dying.

Homeschooling dreams

Home-schooling: the new norm for so many students at the moment, and who knows for how long.

I've not had much experience of what it all equates to here, but I'm guessing that the schools provide the resources, and if worksheets are expected to be done and you don't have a printer, presumably the school works out a way to get the worksheets to you?
I realise that this probably isn't working for every child, and it does require the child to want to learn, and the parents to want to support their children in learning, and both of those in themselves are huge areas of variability, but from what I hear (in my limited circles of movement and interaction), at least the schools are willing to try and help ensure that all children have access to educational resources and the wherewithal to get some 'school-work' done each day.

In Uganda it doesn't quite work like that - if you don't have access to a printer, or money to access a print-shop, then you can't get the worksheets printed and you don't do any school work. And as a result you fall behind the rest of your year group.
And given that all children in Uganda have to take an end of year exam to be promoted to the next class, falling behind, failing the exams and therefore extending the number of years in school, can be a costly obstacle and one that many students from low-income families fail to overcome.

The Ugandan government has just announced that schools will stay closed for several weeks yet, and so the schools have now started compiling packs of work for the children to do each week - providing they can get them printed.
Through CRED Foundation, we support 17 children to be able to attend mainstream school - but none of them are able to self-fund the printing of the worksheets, and are therefore in danger of falling behind their classmates.

So I was delighted when Miriam, who is a teacher in Acholi Quarters and a member of the ladies co-operative with which we work, messaged me yesterday to say that she is getting concerned that the children aren't doing any school work, and so are going to start falling behind.
Her idea is that she will get the worksheets printed for all the children, and then distribute them round to them so that they can work on them for a week. Then do it again for the following week. And so on until they go back to school.
What a star she is!

A wonderful idea - if we can raise the money.
It costs, on average, £9 to print the worksheets for all the subjects for each child per week.
And there are 17 children.
I'll let you do the maths!
And do let me know if you would like to contribute a little to the fund.

This brought tears to my eyes

This brought tears to my eyes
- tears of happiness to hear the lovely voice of Harriet again
- tears of relief to see how well they are all doing in Acholi Quarters
- tears of sadness that there is no idea how long it will be before I am able to go back there again.

Harriet (who is talking) and Miriam (who is behond the camera) are the main two ladies that I liaise with regarding all things Acholi Quarters, and I miss them terribly.

This video was a gift from God

What I can do.

It's very easy to slip into thinking of all the things that I'm not able to do at this time - hugs is probably top of the list, followed by being with friends and family who are too far away to visit in a day, going to places where I don't need to work out what I'll do in the case of needing a loo, and travelling to Africa.
Those activities frequently creep into my thoughts as evidence of how limiting and frustrating lockdown is. And that's not a good place to keep wandering to.
So I try to replace the thoughts with positives - what I am able to do, what I have been able to achieve.
And this photo is a good reminder of that.

It is of 4 families in Acholi Quarters who, along with so many others, are unable to gain any form of income due to lockdown in Uganda. Without money there is no food. And so for them and so many others, coronavirus has been more about the fear of starving to death.

But these 4 families, along with 25 other families, are part of the Lubanga Ber co-operative, who are linked to one of the CRED Partners. And one thing that I have been able to do during lockdown is to mobilise donations of thousands of pounds, which have gone out to support our various partners as they have been doing what they can to help in their communities.

So these 4 families represent the many families who have received food parcels, or money for food, during this time, and as a result have stayed away from starvation.

And that's quite a good thing to be able to say that I have done during lockdown.

Demonstrating best practice in Kibera

Love these two photos!
The wonderful team at Spurgeons are continuing with distribution of food parcels for the vulnerable families in Kibera slum
But, unlike the rest of Kibera where life is anything but orderly, here they are handing out the food in such as way as to demonstrate social distancing and use of face masks as well as showing the love of God for the orphans and widows.
A beautiful example of faith in action.

Smiling happy faces

This photo was taken just nine weeks ago - how long ago that feels now.
I love it for the smiling faces, the excitement, the happiness, the innocence, the togetherness.

How long, if ever, will it be before such a photo can be taken again?

And what have those children gone through in the meantime? Hunger, fear, confusion at not being able to play with friends, sadness at seeing parents so worried all the time, worry about when will the next meal appear.....

Thankfully none of them have lost loved ones to Covid, so they have been spared that pain; but even so, for these young lives to have endured so much extra on top of the tough circumstances they already live in......

I pray for them, for their families, for their community.
And I pray for the day that I will be able to be out with them again, reflecting on what has passed, and planning for a better future.

Paths on a journey

Just back from a lovely, early morning walk in the local countryside.

Some of the route was paths I knew, some was paths that were new to me.
Some were wide open paths with a clear direction, some were narrower with obstacles and twists and turns, and it wasn't clear where I would end up.
Some sections were examples of 'not being able to see the woods for the trees', some were examples of 'light at the end of the tunnel'.
There was one bit where if I crouched down my view was very narrow and hemmed in by stinging nettles, but if I stood up I got a view into the future, and could see past the discomfort of the next few steps.

All in all, it just felt like a metaphor for life's journey, and also a metaphor for this Covid journey. We don't know where it is going and sometimes it feels pretty dark and tough. Other days it feels easier and lighter.

Sometimes we feel like we are crouched down amongst the nettles, but other times we get a glimpse of what it looks like to see beyond them. And at all times we need to remember that God can see beyond. Yes He is walking in the nettles with us, but He knows what is beyond. He gives us the energy to climb the obstacles and to get to the point where we can enjoy the bigger view

On with the day, and all that it might entail.

some days the path feels narrow and dark

other days it's an easier path to walk

sometimes you feel in amongst the nettles

other times we can see beyond them

but there is light at the end of the tunnel

and there will be times when we can stop and take a look at the view, and just rest....

....and remember, and be thankful that we were never alone.