Women seek to raise the voices of forced migrants
Two women have founded a project tracking and sharing the journeys of victims of forced migration.
Former Greenham councillor and Ugandan Asian Pragna Hay is leading the initiative with executive officer of cohesion group Community United Alice Kunjappy-Clifton.
The pair, who named the project ‘Uprooted Stories’, are seeking to recruit members of the community who would like to share their experiences of being uprooted without a choice.
They are looking to track the journey of individuals from various communities including Ugandan, Czech, Syrian, Afghan, Hong Kong, Sri Lankan and Ukrainian.
The stories will be tracked through photography and podcast and they hope to create an exhibition of stories.
Mrs Hay said: “Forced migration is one of the most traumatic experiences that one can undergo.
“It involves leaving one’s home, belongings, and community behind and embarking on a journey into the unknown.
“The trauma of displacement arises not only from the loss of physical possessions, but also the breaking of social ties and disconnection from cultural identity.
“This process can be long and emotionally draining, leaving individuals struggling with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
She added: “Uprooted Stories is a CIC [Community Interest Comapny] company set up to provide a platform for stories to be shared through various projects such as exhibitions, audio plays, stage plays and digital and printed documentation of these stories.
“We are working with Communities United to curate an exhibition telling the stories of those displayed and to document their journey as we feel storytelling can be a process of healing.”
Mrs Hay was just six years old when she and her family arrived in the UK as refugees from Uganda.
On August 4, 1972, Uganda presidentIdi Amin announced that all Asians must leave the country as he said they were milking the economy.
They were given just 90 days to leave.
Ever since, Mrs Hay has been raising awareness through tracking down other Ugandan Asians to holding exhibitions.
