The Sudanese Community: Angela's*  Story

Wadang and Angela met us at the much-improved offices of Windows for Sudan in Digbeth. This voluntary organisation works with refugees from Sudan; offering a variety of education, training and employment support. We were shown a wonderful spread of traditional dishes from Sudan; surrounded by beautiful decorated ceramics; photographs of a community event and a bowl of perfume that smelt good enough to eat. Finally we sat down with Wadang and Angela over a cup of cinnamon tea to hear their stories. 

“I came here 2002 as a dependent to my husband. Now I am asylum seeker and I am still waiting for my papers to come out. To be an asylum seeker, you are not allowed to do anything! But you are allowed to study, which is a great opportunity to me now. I am here with my 2 children – one is at the college studying AS. So I am living with these 2 children as a single mother. It is hard but we are pushing on.


Family fusion

Back home we live in a larger number in one family. You have aunties, the cousins, the nieces, everyone can come and visit you. Life here is a bit different. Here when you cook you eat it by yourself but for us when you cook, some visitor come and you just say ‘Welcome, welcome!’ and then you share. Sharing is very important in our culture. So this sharing brings love and we live as a community, as one family, but here sometimes we feel lonely. In Sudan, when you get married the 2 families become one – it is very valuable and we respect our in-laws from both sides. If there  are any problems we do reconciliation: you come together and discuss the issue – it’s not like you decide to separate; because marriage involves many people from both sides.

Sharing food, sharing lives

It’s not only food we share, sometimes you come together to share issues. Sometimes we come together here as a Sudanese community and we share the food and we share whatever we need in our lives; we talk over it, especially about the political situation in Sudan.  We like to have food together but which food depend on the different cultural background. But okra is common all over Sudan – everyone eats it with everything; with meat, fish, or even with peanut butter! And you can grind it into a powder and make 6 or 7 different dishes.


 The child-care conundrum

For women it can be hard to get into the community activities here because they find it difficult where to keep the children, with no big families and neighbours to help look after. If we had a centre with a few people who did child care then women could attend events; but we don’t have that one. Windows for Sudan is the only place we have. But it is difficult because if we are so many, especially with children, this place can not accommodate all of us! It is a big problem the women are facing with the children.

Learn about art, learn through art.

But I think it is important to go to arts events because it is important to get new ideas. When you see it you can learn about what it is, so it is good to go to those places. Maybe sometimes there will be barriers depending on the religion – maybe with the Islam, some things may not be right for them traditionally? But I think that a lot of Sudanese people are becoming more Western culture; our children are becoming more Western culture so it is important to go to the galleries and theatres to learn about these things.

I think that sometimes you are living here in Birmingham but you know nothing about what is happening in the galleries or theatres unless you are introduced to it. If we are introduced to it then we will be involved. I think it is that communication; if you don’t know you’re not going to find out unless someone tells you.”

(* Name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual)

 

 

 Photographer: Michiru Nakayama, all rights reserved (c)

 

 



 

 


 

From Focus on Ethnicity and Religion, based on 2001 Census data

  • The Black African population has a long history of small-scale settlement in Great Britain with communities established from the late 1940s onwards in the sea ports of Liverpool, Cardiff and London.
  • Migration for the purposes of obtaining training and education has always been a key feature of Black African migration to Britain.
  • Since the 1970s political instability across the African continent has contributed to increased   migration
  • By April 2001 the Black African population was 485,000 – approaching the size of the Black Caribbean population – and 1% of total population of Great Britain.
  • The population is one of the most diverse in terms of geographic origin, including 16% from Nigeria, 10% Ghana, Somalia 8%, Zimbabwe 4%, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kenya 3% each and the rest of Africa 15.4%. The proportion born in England was 34%.
  •  In 2001, 69% described themselves as Christian and 20% Muslim. Just 2% said they have no religion
  • The age profile was relatively young, with the median age for men 27 years and 28 for women. 
  •  The Black African population of working age included a large proportion (24%) of students.
  • More than three-quarters (78%) of the Black African population lived in London, with 40% living in just seven boroughs. 
  •  36% of households with dependent children were headed by a lone parent; this status was also common amongst other Black groups, accounting for 48% Black Caribbean and 52% Other Black households with dependents.
  • Black African groups were least likely to be owner occupiers. 50% rented from a council or housing association and just 26% owner occupiers.
  • Black African households with dependent children were amongst the most likely group to contain no working adults, accounting for 34% households.