26 September 2008
Diaspora communities can reconnect with black history through volunteering, says VSO
People from Diaspora communities, living in the UK, can reconnect with their countries of heritage by taking part in the Department for International Development’s (DFID) Diaspora Volunteering Programme, in partnership with VSO. International development charity, VSO, is using this black history month as an opportunity to encourage Diaspora communities to contribute to community development and fighting poverty by sharing their skills and commitment in their countries and continents of heritage.
Aminat Abdul-Wahab is a 23-year-old British-Nigerian. Growing up in London, had always struggled with her sense of identity. She said:
‘Before going to Nigeria I’d have regarded my sense of identity as lost because I wasn’t fully accepted in either cultures. Now if anyone were to ask me how I viewed my identity or nationality, I’d classify myself as a British–Nigerian. I feel like I have developed an extra layer to my identity.’
Meera Saujani volunteered in India. She said:
‘Indian culture has shaped my entire life and moulded me as a person. Being able to give something back to the country and its people in some small way was something that I had always wanted to do. Our family has always sent money to charities in India but volunteering gave me the opportunity to take some real responsibility and directly make a difference.’
Bola Ojo, Education Manager and mother of England rugby player, Topsy Ojo, volunteered with VSO. Her family is originally from Nigeria, and she volunteered in Rwanda.
She said:
‘The locals’ stereotype of a volunteer is white, so they’d either assume I was Rwandan and talk at me very quickly, ignoring my pleas of ‘English! Anglais!’ or they’d address everything to the white volunteers. They just aren’t used to black people volunteering.’VSO Diaspora Volunteering Manager, Alache Ode, said:
‘Black History Month is a time for people from Diaspora communities in the UK to think about their heritage. We want people to realise that discovering where you come from doesn’t have to mean tracing your family tree. By volunteering in your country or continent of heritage, you can get a real sense of your ancestry, and use your skills to benefit the land of your forefathers.’
She continued:
‘People who volunteer in their country of heritage will also be able to bring back valuable skills, experience and insight, not just to Diaspora communities, but the UK society as a whole.’
VSO is working in partnership with Diaspora organisations in the UK, to support them in developing their own volunteering programmes. People who are interested in volunteering as part of the Diaspora Volunteering Programme can go to www.vso.org.uk for more information on the programme and a list of Diaspora organisations through which they can volunteer.
Prakash Khanal, from Connect for Change (CfC), a partner organisation in the Diaspora Volunteering Programme, which will soon be sending volunteers to Nepal. He said:
‘People from Diaspora communities can contribute substantially to the development of their countries of heritage and origin. The remittances they make are already making a huge difference in supporting development programmes, but this can be further consolidated by encouraging professionals from Diaspora communities to volunteer in their countries of origin. Liquid capital to invest and human capital to guide those investments will become a powerful combination to overcome inherent poverty and achieve the millennium development goals.’
People from Diaspora communities are still encouraged to volunteer with VSO’s regular volunteering programmes. For more info go to www.vso.org.uk/volunteering.
The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD-UK) works to engage volunteers from Diaspora communities to work in their SEEDA programme (Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa) in Sierra Leone and Ghana. AFFORD has so far engaged 75 volunteer Resource Persons in five enterprise trips and this number is set to rise to 82 in light of the upcoming trips in October and November 2008.
Jessie Kenya, SEEDA Programme Officer, at AFFORD UK said:
‘SEEDA is more than physical movement of the Diaspora to engage with business development in Africa. It is the shifting of mindsets towards entrepreneurial possibilities, exchanging ideas and challenging divisive attitudes. SEEDA helps Africans generate solutions for Africa’s problems in a most exciting and profitable way.’
VSO is currently working with 13 diaspora organisations on programmes in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Guyana, Ethiopia, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
ENDS
For more information, an interview, or images, please contact Siobhan Wakely in VSO’s Media Office on 020 8780 7410 or Siobhan.wakely@vso.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
- The average age of VSO’s volunteers is 41. VSO works in 34 countries mostly in Africa and Asia. There are currently 1,500 volunteers overseas Visit www.vso.org.uk or call 020 8780 7500.
- Past volunteers for the VSO have included the journalists Jon Snow, Brian Hanrahan, Mike Wooldridge and Michael Brunson, and the MP Hilary Armstrong who is volunteering again as part of Project PolVol.
- SEEDA has attracted a 100 strong Resource Pool of people ready to work pro bonoo in Africa SEEDA has piloted 2 business support centres in Sierra Leone to provide ongoing business support to entrepreneurs
- SEEDA has produced a 30 minute documentary, ‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’ highlighting the stories from SEEDA’s stakeholders as well as its in country partners about the opportunities and potential of the informal business sector
