The ‘Home from Home’ project aims to explore the legacies of pioneering British Nigerians in the UK and their impact on society. The project highlights and celebrates British Nigerian contributions to the cultural, political, educational, artistic, spiritual, and sporting life of Britain and London, in particular. In this interview we feature CEO Debbie Ariyo OBE.
Who is Debbie Ariyo CEO?
A – I am the founder and CEO of the charity AFRUCA Safeguarding Children. I started the charity exactly 23 years ago in response to cases of newly arrived children being abused, harmed and killed. The charity is now spread out across England with offices in both London and Manchester working with children, young people and their families in Black communities. I am very proud to lead this amazing organisation making a real change in the lives of people and hope to see it expand even further to achieve this goal.
What does “Home From Home” mean to you?
A – Personally, “home from home” means living a happy and fulfilling life in a different environment from your origin or outside your culture and heritage. In the context of the work that I do at AFRUCA, “home from home” is utilising the totality of my knowledge and experience to support children and families build a happy and comfortable life in the UK, with the freedom to embrace their culture, be themselves while abiding by UK laws, especially those relating to child upbringing and protection.
How do you celebrate your Nigerian heritage?
I am very rooted in my Nigerianess and I am a very proud Nigerian. I hear people reference my accent and why as someone who has lived in the UK for almost 35 years, I still speak with my Nigerian accent. I love my Nigerian accent. My Nigerianess is what makes me unique as a woman who founded and has successfully led a British charity for over 20 years. I always highlight how my “Nigerian spirit” of community, hard-work, resilience and dedication is responsible for my success in growing and developing AFRUCA through the years. My celebration of my Nigerian heritage is rooted in the success and achievements of my work at AFRUCA.
What does being “British Nigerian” mean to you?
I was born in the UK but grew up in Nigeria from the age of four. I spent my formative years in Nigeria and returned to the UK when I was 21 years. I have spent most of my life in the UK and all my working life here too. So I have come to take on the best of Britishness. I have found that there are many similarities in being British and being Nigerian. I see my Britishness embodied in my work at AFRUCA – community service, resilience and determination. Being British Nigerian is my acknowledgement of these two sides which both inform my sense of identity. It is a blessing and privilege to embody the virtues in both – the Nigerian spirit of strength and hard work and the British values of service, resilience and determination.
How do you stay connected to your identity?
I am very connected to the Nigerian community in the UK. A large number of our service users at AFRUCA are of Nigerian heritage. This enables me to continue to learn about issues and collaborate with others to design and develop projects to help meet needs. I also visit Nigeria on average every year. This helps me to keep in touch with my extended family members, friends and continue to be in tune with ongoing affairs in the country. I am also conversant with issues occurring in the UK at present, especially rhetoric on “the hostile environment”, the rise in racism and race discrimination. My sense of being and identity influence my personal responses to this negativity.
What does culture mean to you?
My culture is my way of life and also forms part of my identity. I believe culture is personal to each individual. For me my way of life and identity are both embodied in my Nigerian and British approaches to life. When we see families at AFRUCA, our aim is to understand how their culture has influenced their views of themselves and their environment. Sometimes there is a disconnection between both – especially when bringing up children born and bred in the UK. Therefore, there is a need for culture to evolve or change. Culture should not be static.
What do you imagine the future of the British Nigerian Community to look like in the next few years based on your industry?
The future of the British Nigerian community looks very bright indeed! We will see more successful achievements and positive contributions to the UK in our community. The values embodied in the “average” British Nigerian call to hard work, resilience, determination. These are all values that determine success, irrespective of age. We continue to see successful British Nigerians in different walks of life and this is an ongoing trend. I also like that the community is opened to highlighting and discussing issues or problems faced by its members. This is a solution focused approached to addressing such issues which is positive. You can only grow as a community if you are prepared to address challenges faced.
Links to website/Social Media:
LinkedIn: Debbie Ariyo OBE, Twitter: Debbie Ariyo OBE
