A Big Shout Out to Year 5 at Malorees School
During November and December 2017 OUR STORIES returned to Malorees Primary School. Over four days the children of year 5 were very busy sharing stories with each other which they had gleaned from or about their grand and great-grandparents over half term or soon after. Yara’s grandmother very kindly took the time to visit the school for an extensive interview by the children in 5G, as well as a few other parents. We heard the most fantastic variety of stories, ranging from a baby lion who got to stay in a posh Dublin hotel room to a body under a bridge in Kenya, a snake in a toilet, to a chicken farm in Argentina. We also heard many stories about the humble beginnings of many families only a few generations ago, living on farms, far away from schools and the amenities most children take for granted these days. We spent quite a long time discussing differences between then and now and comparing the contrasting life styles of the older generation and the children.
Most stories though, as so often with this project, were about being a refugee, sometimes in their own country, but sometimes this also meant having to flee London or the UK during the war for safety, or coming to England from another war-torn country to start a new life. As always, these stories have been a reminder of how many of these, ie. of ‘our’ North West London childrens’ lives have been shaped by economic and political migration, persecution, hardship and having to depend on the kindness of strangers.
And once again, the stories have painted an incredibly diverse and interesting picture of our community and I thank you all for sharing your stories.
Here is a little taster of what I recorded. More coming soon, watch this space!
