To mark World Anti-Slavery Day, a guest at Caritas Bakhita House reflects on the centre’s special celebration of ‘Cultural Day.’
Our flight was for two o’clock.
You’re probably wondering where we were going. Well, Caritas Bakhita House was our plane, and we all sat in First Class. It was an amazing global adventure, and the great thing about our journey was that none of us suffered from jetlag. We visited so many countries, and each welcomed us with love. It was our ‘Cultural Day,’ and everyone proudly represented their countries.
Each of us had a very nice painted flag, and we took turns in the kitchen, because there is no better way to share one’s culture than with food.
When we were all done cooking, we dressed up elegantly for the day. I realised that if someone were to see us walking in the street, they wouldn’t be able to tell that we are all from different countries; our flags and accents were the only giveaway.
Our meal showcased flavours and traditions from many countries; it was a celebration of cultural exchange and unity. Every dish told a story, and each bite was a step into a different heritage.
The dining table became the central focus, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and joy. The menu featured Zimbabwean peanut-butter rice, saoba from Botswana, Nigerian egusi soup, gari from Cameroon, okra soup and crab from Guinea, Indian chapati, Thai noodles, British beef-in-marrow, melon from Italy, Persian stew and much more.
During the meal, we all had to share something that we like about our countries. Everyone spoke passionately about their homeland, creating an image in our minds of each place. This helped us to strengthen our relationships by establishing a sense of trust and belonging; we got to understand each other better, and appreciate the effort each person made to share their culture.
Afterwards, we had Afternoon Tea with Austrian apple strudel, made by our beloved House Manager Anna. We also had scones with jam and clotted cream; everything was homemade.
It was a lovely tea date, though several of us got very excited with all that sugar! There was music playing in the background, so we danced off the sugar rush to songs from different countries; it felt like the laughter and joy in the house would never end.
After such a wonderful day everyone was very tired; some started playing UNO, while others had a footbath with the salts we made the day before as a present to everyone in the house.
I bet everyone went to bed smiling, accompanied by a red rose from Karen.
Caritas Bakhita House is a safe house for survivors of modern slavery, exploitation and human trafficking. Since opening in 2015, the centre has provided accommodation to 195 women and 16 babies from almost 50 different countries. Alongside tailored therapeutic and trauma-informed care, the centre also assists women with bringing perpetrators to justice, and has helped to secure a total of 218 years of prison sentences.
Find out more on the centre’s recent Impact Report.
