Last month Penny McLean and I spent a very enjoyable day with Shpetim Alimeta (Basis Project Organisational Development Officer for the East of England) visiting the Peterborough African Community Organisation.
They're a terrific group and, with Shpetim's help, managed to secure funding for a community radio station at the end of last year.
Here's the film we made about their work. (A transcript is available on the Basis Project website.)
Here's our latest video - about the West London Somaliland Community, who have been working with the Basis Project for the past year.
West London Somaliland Community – transcript
Id: “My name is Id Hassan Muse , I’m the co-ordinator of West London Somaliland Community and we’re here today to take part in a tournament that a club has organised for the kids during the Easter holidays.”
Adam: “My name’s Adam and I’m 13-years-old and I love going to the Somalilanders Community because it gives me a chance to play football and I love what I do. And it gives me a chance to meet all of my friends because they also go. I think it’s brilliant.
“Behind me there’s a football tournament going on. I normally play up front to score some goals and in the last game I scored the final goal and we’re top of our league table.”
Id: “We have now more than 80 children registered with the club and 60 children come regularly every Saturday for ages 10 to 17. We have a very diverse group, with Asian children, White British, Somalilanders and other Somalis. And we are really proud of our team.”
Abdullahi Ali
“My name’s Abdullahi Ali. I’m the organiser of this event as well as the Chairman of West London Somaliland Community. In Somali we’d say ‘Ku soo dhawaada’ which is wide, open-handed welcome you here. This event is for the 18th anniversary of Somaliland regaining freedom from dictatorship and we’re hoping to get 600 people here. There will be playing, music, singing, dancing, poetry, speeches about the culture and history of the country to teach the younger people about what happened, why it happened and what we achieved from it.”
Id: “This project is funded by the Football Foundation. It is a two year project and after the two years we hope to be able to sustain the project through the Football Foundation and to develop it more widely with the social outcomes.”
Liban: “Hi, my name’s Liban, I’m 12-years-old, I play centre midfield and I like my team because they pass around, they do a lot of action and they come back all the time.”
Caption: The Discovery of the Talents was founded in 2006 by Justin Nsiko Bankwa, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In 2008, with help from the Basis Project, they got funding from Trafford Hall for an allotment project in Birmingham.
Caption: David Hirst, the Basis Project Organisational Development Officer in the West Midlands.
“I’ve known Justin and his group probably for about a year and I’ve supported their willingness to get an allotment and encouraged them – I sent a few emails to the council when they lost their application and generally encouraged them.”
Caption: They plan to plant a range of fruit and vegetables, including some that also grow in DRC.
Justin:
“First of all we plant callaloo, which we are 100% sure will grow up here. And we will try other fruit and other vegetables like cabbage, beans and maize which we are 100% sure will grow.”
Caption: The Discovery of the Talents wants to encourage as many refugees as possible to work on and enjoy the allotment. They plan to expand the allotment to accommodate as many people as wish to join them.
Justin:
“It is a very good experience for us. When, one day, if I am back in the Congo, I can see which is the best place to do an allotment project.”
About Us
The Basis Project Run in partnership by the Refugee Council and Refugee Action, the Basis Project is working with Refugee Community Organisations across England. Read more on our website. Contact us.
