Yemisi Onigbinde

I am 39 year old mother of 2 children. I am originally from Nigeria but spent most of my life in England. Haringey is a very diverse community. Many people have a good underling attitude and are involved in care and community work in the borough. For instance, I’ve seen people waking up early in the morning to meet and pray for the social transformation of the borough, Churches collaborating together to take care of the homeless and provide them shelter.

The council works really well with groups and I love the fact that people actually want to do something, rather than sit and complain about the problems. Of course there are lots of challenges, but the charities are really good and proactive. Once they see a problem they immediately start wondering what they can do about it, and that’s what I love most.
Also, there is a huge diversity of cultures, backgrounds, age-groups etc. It’s also a very cosmopolitan area with ample transportation and good access to other parts of London.

I head up an organization called Faith action, which is designed to equip local churches in delivering community social projects. We produce magazines, resources, training, conferencing and lots of advocacy so that Church leaders are equipped to deliver sustainable projects meeting the needs of those seeking their help. This is very important because faith plays a very crucial role in the life. People in need don't go to their local council, but rather to a church or Faith leader regarding their problems. In spite of this however, Church leaders don’t have all the tools and technical information to fully support the needs of people seeking their help so we encourage collaboration with Statutory agencies and other Sectors. William Wilberforce is my life model - the issue of his time was the slave trade and he had the tenacity to do something about it. He used his position and life for a bigger force than himself! Ultimately Jesus Christ is my biggest role model.

What would I suggest to future leaders? Ask God “what your purpose in life is? What problem you were created to solve?” - If you are not of faith, ask yourself: “What you are passionate about?” Once you’ve established that, do something about it! Above all believe in yourself.

Gosia Shannon

I am 40, Polish, and I have lived in Haringey for 17 years. It is a very multiethnic, warm, friendly borough very rich in nationalities. There are varied groups and a sense of cosmopolitanism. Most of all, I love that you can find everything here, because different people bring a wide load of things. Haringey is unique.

I work for PEEC Family Centre, where I opened a new charity for Polish and other East-European people. We help vulnerable people in need, homeless, elderly, young mums with their babies, broken families, people with alcohol problems. From my point of view this is really important because it brings communities together, it helps them grow, develop, improve.

In my life I have the following motto: “Out of inner being will flow the rivers of living water – and everywhere the river flows everything shall live”. I believe that negative things always have a counter-balance. A bit of goodness always wins the hardest hearts in the long run, and as we learn to love our neighbours as ourselves the blessings on the land will come. I also believe that it is time to love people with love that cover each others mistakes and help them to overcome their situations, by providing them with kindness and goodness.

Ricardo Mfuka

I am 52, I come from Angola and I am married with two children. They are 23 and 21, and I am really happy with them and my wife. Since I first came to the UK in 1990,I have always lived in Haringey. If you look at it, it’s a very interesting place with good culture, and people from every side of the world.

As a coach, I have my activity in Tottenham and all the people I have met have always been really nice. I am a football coach for a charity there, called Chettle Court Rangers (Youth) FC. I believe that my job is very important, as it takes the children out of the street, that also means out of trouble. Besides, they love it.

As an advice, I would remind everyone that knowledge is good, and knowledge is free. Let the children move out and learn, spread the knowledge! I think this is fundamental.

Samsam Mohamud

I am the 33-year-old mother of 4 children. The oldest is 11, the youngest just a few months old. I have a husband as well. I come from Somalia, but Haringey has been my home for 17 years now. It’s such a nice borough to live in, so multicultural and mixed. Most of all it’s amazing because everything you need is here, and for this reason you won’t miss your original home.

I am the founder and chair of North London Somali Community Association, based in Chestnut Centre. We work with Somali families and youth, especially young women. We give them activities and workshops to help them integrate in the community. To be honest, I believe it’s a very important job. When I first came here I was a teenager and I attended a sixth form school for girls. Since I didn’t know the language and there weren’t sport activities, I found it really difficult to mix with others and also I couldn’t do that well in my qualifications. Since maths doesn’t involve English I was upper-intermediate in that class, but apart from that I didn’t really achieve anything. Besides, my mum didn’t speak English either so she couldn’t ask for information about after-school clubs and other activities.

I have learnt from my experience and my aim is to help those who need help, to break the cultural barrier. I support people by providing them with the right information about communities. If I didn’t do that, I know that many young people could fall in the danger of taking drugs. I want to educate young women that soon will become mothers. My goal is to make them better parents than my parents could be. I would suggest future leaders that they don’t just say “I’m a leader, follow me”: the word is bigger than that, to be a leader you need to really try and reach as far as you can. Then, if you are a good leader, you will certainly be able to greatly support other people. There might be problems: as for my experience, I have had difficulties in fundraising, but in the end you can overcome them.

Peter Oyebobola "Praisetek"

I am over 40, I come from Nigeria and I have a beautiful wife. Haringey has been my home for 14 years now, and I really love it. As a borough it’s a wonderful, very welcoming place for almost everyone. You can easily find lots of mixed nationalities, different activities, and all the facilities are close by. Of course, the area also has some bad sides. But the community is so vibrant, you really feel at home.

My organization is called Praisetek. What we do, is to go on the street and talk to people who are involved in drugs and prostitution, we ask them why that is. We go to them to let them know that they are not alone, that there is someone to listen to them. Besides, most of the people in Praisetek have a background in the street as well, and have overcome it successfully. So now we want to encourage these people towards a better life, out of crime. For example, we talked to a lady who had been a prostitute on the same spot of Haringey for 5 years, and today she is a qualified, professional hairdresser. In fact, we try to find businesses for these people t reintegrate in society, when they come out of marihuana, cocaine etc.

We are called Praisetek as opposed to Discoteque, because one of our aims is also to introduce people to God and his love. Every last Sunday on the month, as well, we have a “lightclub”, as opposed to nightclub, when you can dance with music and so on. This is because you don’t have to be in the darkness to enjoy yourself and to have fun. Most of the times, for these people darkness would mean taking drugs, but we aim to show them that it is possible to entertain yourself without harming, or offending, the community and yourself.

As an advice to young leader I would suggest they go out and meet their communities. Some people are neglected by society and if you don’t go after them, there will be more and more in the years to come. Go on the street! Which fish are you going to catch if you’re sitting in your room? Go to the river!

Murat Yildirim

I’m 38, married, and I have two girls of 8 years and 4 months and a half respectively. I come from Turkey, but I have lived in London for 24 years now. I’ve been living in Haringey for the past 6 years, but working here for about a decade. I love the cultural diversity of the borough, where all cultures intermingle in harmony. It is a richness that I really appreciate. I would describe Haringey as one of the most colourful boroughs in London.

Here I work as project manager of an association called My Muzik: I run all the projects, which concern mainly the teaching of Turkish and Kurdish culture and musik. We don’t want to touch religious or political matters. Our focus is on the spreading of knowledge. What we do is very important, because of the crime issues in Haringey. As many other organizations here, we provide services that keep young people off the streets.

When I first arrived in London I was only 14 and couldn’t speak the language, I didn’t know lots of things, but gradually I integrated in the community and now I consider this to be my home. Therefore I feel it’s my duty to give back to the community what I got in the first place. What I would also say to future leaders is that it is fundamental that they learn properly from the current leaders, s that they can pass the knowledge on, in a positive chain.

Daisy Byaruhanga

I’m a single mum. When I moved from Uganda to Britain, 20 years ago, my first point of contact was Haringey, which I now consider to be my home. I came out of Seven Sisters station, on the Victoria Line, to look for my friend who lived off West Green Road. There I met other Ugandans and their friends from other countries: Nigeria, Congo, Ghana, sometimes Britain as well, Ireland, Turkey, the Caribbean.

We started socialising in Tottenham, where I was introduced to a Charity at Selby Centre, I started volunteering, and I later got a paid job in Haringey. I felt welcome. Above all I enjoyed the diversity and the rich cultures I got exposed to. Diversity is great here and it’s good for me to see many other black people, I don’t feel lonely then and I know I am accepted, understood. My daughter has grown up in Haringey and in her childhood and teenage years was always involved in so many activities for young people. The borough really gives the chance to share idea and problems.

In 1995 I was caring for a family member at North Middlesex Hospital and together with other residents of Haringey, who also had patients in the hospital, we formed a support group to fill the gap in care services for people living with HIV/AIDS. We later registered our Group as a Charity, called Innovative Vision Organisation. For 15 years we have continued to provide care and support services, advocacy and HIV prevention information and campaign in Haringey and the neighbouring boroughs of Enfield, Barnet, Waltham Forest, Hackney, New Ham and Towerhamlets and Redbridge. It has not been always easy but we always sorted out the problems that faced us.

My life motto is NEVER GIVE UP! I used that in my fight against AIDS, and in my funding campaigns. Even when the odds are against you, don’t quit: we will all succeed in the end! I am proud to be associated with Haringey. I have a dream to become a Politician, a Member of Parliament for Tottenham, one day.

Alison Nunes

I am Jamaican, I have 4 grown up kids and I have lived in Haringey for 33 years. If you had never been in this borough, I would tell you it’s a diverse, very mixed community, a Mecca for people coming to England for the first time particularly NE London. Above all I like the fact that you can meet people of similar cultural background as your own and relate and interact with them in socially. All of us come from elsewhere and it’s nice to interact and help each other.

I do volunteer work being chairperson for Haringey University of the Third Age. It is an organisation that caters for mature people engaging the people who are retired or semi-retired. Our motto is "Retired but not retiring"! Members consider themselves wise because of their mature years and we enjoy getting out and about to enhance wellbeing and help them remain happy! They come together to learn IT skills, join reading groups do poetry and some walk, travel and more as well.

I try to live my life by being helpful and managed to help members to record their memories and experiences in a publication, “Wisdom Speaks”: we are continuously taking from life experiences I think it’s fundamental for future leaders of communities to be involved, know what’s going on, be out there and help people in need.
Haringey is an exciting Borough to live in, food variety is plenty, well kept parks and other open spaces make it really enjoyable.

Elif Aygun

I’m 24, single, with 4 siblings. I was born in Turkey and arrived in London when I was 3 and have been living in Haringey for the past 16 years. I describe Haringey as a multicultural deprived area which needs lots of developments, for example, gangs must be prevented and for this we must work together as a community and help motivate children from getting involved in danger. Looking at Haringey from a different view it can also be a challenging place to live in and it certainly gives a good experience for those who desire to develop in life.

At the moment I’m working with ‘My Muzik’ as a project leader for the development of those who seek support. I believe the work we carry out is important because we help people particularly the young ones for a better future, as we are essential and vital to them.

As a life motto my team and I seek to develop and succeed by offering more support and for this we must obtain funding from local authorities. I would suggest future leaders to work as a team and not to be biased. I am hoping for them to commence beneficial projects for the community that will enable safety and development.

Stephen Wish

I am 57 now, born in England and moving to London when 18 year old. I've lived and worked in Haringey since 1985. Haringey is a complex and diverse borough, so for me it is an excellent place to be right now as I see my self as equally complex and diverse. I thought geography in two Haringey schools and remained delighted with the privilege of meeting children from all over the world, who shared their first hand experiences with me. If you want to meet people in a global context, where better than Haringey?

I founded my organisation, Polar Bear Community, in 2000 because I recognised there was a lack of personalised support for people experiencing serious mental health issues, as I was at the time.We help people explore and express how they are experiencing the world in what is a very confusing and chaotic moment in their life. After I was diagnosed with bi-polar affective disorder, at the age of 46, and ended my teaching career, I asked myself the questions: 'Why had I lost my voice?' 'Why was no-one hearing me?' 'Why did it feel as though I really had nowhere to turn?' Polar Bear helped me rediscover. I discovered that I believed in possibility - daily miracles that can allow almost anything to happen, if we are able to recognise them.

My advice to future leaders is to keep believing! You may not know how to do something, but that does not mean that it isn’t possible. You can do it! Come and talk with the Polar Bear if you want to discover your own possibilities, even in the most difficult of times.

Mohamed Iman

I was born in Somalia in 1966. I have lived in London, in Haringey, since 1994 and I’m married with three children, the oldest of which is 11 year old. Living in this borough sometimes I find myself really believing that I’m not far from Somalia. This shows me the multicultural value of Haringey compared to most other London boroughs, and makes me love this area and want to stay here.

I am the trustee and chair of an organisation called Somali UK Community Association Link. About two decades ago the Somali people first started to move out of Somalia because of the civil war that was ravaging the country. So most of us have now been here for quite a long time, but still, sometimes this is not enough. Besides, many people keep coming in, especially families with children. Therefore, in my organisation we feel that we need to do more for the Somali youth, to help them understand the culture of other people. We propose activities as many other pre-existing organisations, because we believe that there is always the need for more. In fact, we started in 2002, when we realised that we needed more bases that the Somali people could reach easily.

As a life motto, I would say that it is important to be brave, face challenges, have the courage to make a change. I’ve got to say to future leaders that there is a lot to do for the community to be updated and for a better social understanding to be fulfilled. It is fundamental that we spend time with the children and transmit them our knowledge, too.

Lynne Hale

I have a husband and one child. I come from Wales, but I lived in New York and then came to London, and Haringey, 16 years ago. This borough is a rich tapestry of diversity. I really love it, but sometimes it can be challenging and frustrating. It’s always very rich and interesting, though. I really like the diversity, and I actually work with it, so it suits me very well.

I am chief executive of Haringey Shed and our motto is ‘everyone has a part to play’. We provide inclusive theatre, music and movement workshops leading to professional performance experiences for children and young people. We also deliver programmes in schools. It’s important because we give the opportunity to children who’d never have the chance to experience the performing arts, and the kind of benefits that this gives: confidence, presence, team working skills and a sense of community… 30 % of our kids have a range of special needs, and since isolation could be a big problem for them, it’s really good that they can share time with mainstream youngsters and everyone benefits from this inclusive way of working.

My inspiration is the young people we work with – seeing them grow as performers and people is a very joyful experience. My life motto is “Seize the day”, embrace opportunities when they arise. I would suggest to future leaders that they find what they are really passionate about and dedicate themselves to that. It sounds obvious but it’s so important to love your work.

Andrew Reid

I am the eldest of five children. I live and work in Haringey, and living in south Tottenham since 1972 I know very well the happenings of the last 40 years in the area. Haringey is to me the most diverse place in London, where young people and adults can easily get together in a community. I am happy to say that in Haringey there are both an art centre and a theatre. What I love most about it is its diversity. It’s good to see different people, different nationalities, to seek understanding from them. I find that this breaks down barriers like racism, sexism…

I work with quite a few organizations in the borough, given that I am a diversity activist. In particular, though, my brother and I have founded the Black Art Production Theatre, or BAP Theatre, for short. My brother is the artist, while I take care of the management/services bit. I think ours is an important job because it gives young people the opportunity to get closer to theatre.

My life motto is “A winner never quits, a quitter never wins”. As far as I’m concerned, future leaders should know who they’re representing, know their community, ask them questions and listen a lot. Only then it is possible to represent it in a positive way.

Anthia

I’m 18 and I have one older brother and one older sister. I am half Greek, half Turkish, but I have always lived here, in Haringey.

I know the area has maybe a bad name and is sort of rough, but it depends on how you feel about it. You might be scared at first, yet I find it a nice place to be. I like that here they always try to do something good for the people. I assist Rahul in Haringey Youth when he teaches street Bollywood dance. Given that it’s something different, that fuses together two forms of dance, it’s something unusual that also has the positive effect of keeping fit and active.

My life motto is “fight for tomorrow”: I believe we should always keep going, never stop trying. As an advice to future leader, as well, I’d say always be positive, even when things are not going good keep your head up, because when you start thinking negative, everything will go negative!

Rahul

I am 19 and I’m originally from Bangladesh, but my two older brothers and I have lived in Haringey all our lives. I love everything about it, there is lots of entertainment and of activities for young people.

I teach street Bollywood dance at Haringey Youth. It’s important because it takes people away from drugs. In my opinion everyone should keep away from bad stuff, and rather do something they really like.

Brinda

I’m 59 and I was born in Mauritius. I have one son of 27 who is studying at university. My husband is 62, and unfortunately he has been diagnosed Alzheimer and his condition is quite severe. I have been in Haringey since 1973, working as a deputy manager for a care centre called Haringey Asian day Centre.

I like the borough because it has many different backgrounds, and you feel at home. When I first came to the UK I lived in Bristol, where I didn’t really feel at ease. But here you can meet people of so many different nationalities! I love it. Also, I love that in Haringey there are lots of people who care for the other people. As a deputy manager I do this too, and in particular I provide activities for people with special conditions. It is definitely an important work, because there is always someone needing care. Until 3 years ago I also particularly cared for my father, who then passed away. At the moment I am not working because my husband needs me.

My whole life is based on caring for people and I would advice future leaders to do that too. Most of all, I believe that carers should be more listened to, because of their experience. There should be more specific training to suit individual needs. For example, not much attention is paid for younger people with Alzheimer. At the hospital they are not really looked after. I think we should all be more attentive.

Eddie Wedderburn

I am 83 years old, with a wife, two kids, and a grandson of nearly two years. I come from the parish of Westmorland in Jamaica, but I have now lived in Haringey for 48 years!

To someone who has never been there I would describe it as a multiethnic borough that provides good services for the older people. What I love most about it, though, is the friendliness of the people in Haringey, and the respect that they show. I have worked with a huge number of organizations here: I am currently in the Haringey Race and Equality Council, but in the past I have been governor at many schools and colleges of the area; I have an experience as a treasurer; I was twice District Road Master for Muioof (North London district); I worked with the Cultural Centre and the West Indian Standing Conference; I have been the deacon of a local church for more than 20 years; a trustee; and much else. This means that I have always done something interesting with the community.

I think it has a link with my childhood, since I grew up in a similar environment. I really like to be involved in helping people in an assertive manner, and I would suggest future leaders to be conscientious, dedicated, and respectful of the others.

Nasreen Hussein

I am a widow with five children, and I arrived in Haringey 25 years ago, when I got married. I am originally from Pakistan, but I was born in Birmingham, and first went to Pakistan when I was 19.

The area is lots of fun, you can get to know so many different people if you want to! And I love having everything available on my doorstep, or a walking distance away, or a bus ride away. I feel safe in Haringey.

Here I work at HAVCO, which I really like because of the nice people there and because I love learning new things. My life motto is “Walk through the waves even if the tide is against you”: I believe we can never do enough, there is always the chance to work more and work better.

Andy Asukwo

I’m 25 and I come from Nigeria. I have lived in Haringey for 3 years and I think it’s a borough with a good environment, a happy place to live in. Most of all, I love the fact that there is good education in Haringey, and that the area is getting better and better.

In Haringey I work for Praisetek, an organization against drugs and prostitution. I would say that our work is important because the people need humanity, and that’s what we try to give them. In particular, I believe in change and that the people should fulfil their destiny, maximising their potential.

If I had to give an advice to future leaders of the area, I’d tell them the best thing is to know what you’re talking about, and to talk directly to the people you’re representing. It is essential that we represent those people that otherwise wouldn’t have the possibility to make their voice be heard.