My Story

I grew up in a time when we took the lead from our elders and did as we were guided to do. We were inspired by their stories of survival and how they sought opportunities on another side of the world to where they were. They moved mountains if needed to ensure their families fulfilled their potential. This goodwill extended to the wider community where everyone was considered a brother, sister, son or daughter. Everybody helped each other but more importantly – nobody felt too big or too small to give or accept an extended helping hand. The community was truly one big family.

My parents were born in India and later emigrated to Uganda in Africa, in search of their own opportunities. My father was a carpenter and worked in the sawmills of Jinja in Uganda before he decided to make the move to England.  My mother was only 19 when they married in India. She didn’t have a choice about who she married. In fact, she was engaged to someone else when overnight, her destiny changed because another suitor who needed a wife became available. That suitor was my father. He had become a widower with three children and had nobody to look after them. So, my mother was chosen to be the one for my father and instantly, she became a mother to three grown-up children. She went on to have six daughters and always wished for a son – but she never complained. My mother made the best of everything and lived to give others what she never had. My father stood by her to raise nine children and he succeeded according to his definition of success, as we all married following our traditional custom with dowries.

My parents inspired us to live, survive, give unconditionally and to be grateful for what we had. In the evenings we would all sit down together and share stories of their journey, joys, lows, hardships and good times. We lived a spiritual life in a material world. It was easier to be spiritual then as there were fewer distractions from the outside world except for the Bollywood and Hollywood movies! Even they were vetted. As children we were protected and sheltered from external dangers. We enjoyed being children and looked forward to becoming adults with responsibilities of a home and a family and occupations that we chose or grew into. There was a pattern to life and people followed it without any questions. That’s how things were. Everybody had a role to play in society and more often than not, people rose to the challenge and thrived in whatever position they found themselves in.