This project will enable African communities living in the Borough of Enfield to participate in the coronation of His Majesty The King that will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 by highlighting the contributions to and role of the British Monarchy in Africa’s socio-economic and environmental development.
The project will start on 1st of May 2023 and end on 30 November 2023. After 6 May 2023; the project activities will continue for 6 months until 30 October 2023 by organising a series of monthly community conversations (group sessions) to discuss the role of the UK in international development of Africa. The sessions of 2 hours each will be held at our drop-in centre on a monthly basis for a period of 6 months and will be attended by 50 people each.
At the end of the project; a living story book will be created as a written archive of African communities’ memories about the contribution of the UK to African development through international development and Commonwealth. We will organise an exhibition of 10 panels that will be displayed for a period of one month in Edmonton Green Library. The exhibition will provide the list and short description of some important case studies of community projects funded by the UK government in Africa and that benefitted the project participants. We will publicise the project by distributing 1;500 fliers; word of mouth; our website; Facebook and Twitter pages. This project will contribute to reducing social isolation among African communities by providing an opportunity for social networking.
This project will contribute to building strong relationships in and across communities by bringing the African communities together through personal interactions; meetings and live music entertainment. Having a sense of community embraces spirit; character; image; and pride and is a vital element of a healthy community. It is a feeling that people within the community matter to one another with a shared faith that their needs will be met through commitment and togetherness. Being a part of a community can make us feel as though we are a part of something greater than ourselves. The event is an opportunity to facilitate open bonds with new connections that contribute to building valuable relationships and giving us a deeper sense of belonging.
We will organise road shows and stands at various locations including local shopping centres to publicise the project. A steering group representing each African country with residents in the London Borough of Enfield will be set up to oversee the implementation of the project. The project will be supported by four African volunteers who help with engaging with project participants; distributing fliers and organising the group sessions. from the African participant communities.
The project involves sharing stories to give the community a voice; bringing people together to reflect about international development and its importance to their families back in Africa. The African people in UK will now be part of the conversation by enabling African people to provide their opinions about international development which is usually dominated by aid workers; academics and government officials.