I originally came from Sierra Leone in West Africa when I was 15. Initially I lived in Tottenham, and then in Old Kent Road road. I moved from Old Kent Road to Gravesend back in 2000. If you come in here, what I would say to you is: Embrace diversity, embrace the lovely area we have. There's a lot of green areas, there's a mix of a lot of different people. Embrace the culture, embrace the surroundings and just make the most of the area that we have. When you come to a new area, it's really good that you settle in. The kind of things I did was I got to know the new area, I got to know my neighbours, my neighbourhood, and also looked at what's going on in the local area. Join some local community groups. I find BBC Radio Kent very good, because I could get some local information. The libraries are also good as well. And my greatest memories here in Gravesend are really all the community events we have. I remember the first Northfleet Carnival that I went to. It was just amazing to see so many people out there celebrating dancing. I went to town and I saw all the different people just making the most of it. So I would say, come to the area, accept it for what it is. Embrace the good and the bad, and make the most of it. One of the things I found when I came was that the community was mostly white and also it was a lot of Asians as well, so it was quite interesting because I came back from Old Kent Road and it was mostly African and Caribbean, so it was quite different. So, initially it was a bit of a shock. The greatest shock was really when my children went to school, they were the only black boys in their class. It did bother me for a while because I was thinking: ‘How are they gonna integrate?’ But I remember my son came and said to me ‘Mum, what are we going to do for Black History?’ I said ‘What do you mean?’ He said ‘Well my school is not doing anything.’ So I was like ‘Okay, we could do something.’ I said ‘What do you want to do?’ - ‘Well teach them how to cook jollof rice!’ I was like okay! But what I actually did, I went to the school, I took some African arts and craft and I actually engaged with those pupils, really, telling them a bit of our history and I would say ‘Coming to Northfleet, even though it was a bit strange, I met really good people.’ My favourite place in Northfleet is The Hill. I really like The Hill, because when you go - when you get off the bus - you see the Veteran’s Hall and to the left they had The Secret Garden. I used to love The Secret Garden, because you see all these plants, as well as all the fruits, and then you connect to nature. And I really appreciate the work that volunteers have done and I remember you could go there and sit there, and also have barbecues, as well, that you can go and eat and enjoy with people. And then coming from there - walking through the cemetery - I find it really peaceful because it really makes me appreciate the gift of life. I read the stones and I think ‘Imagine all those wonderful people with a historical effect here in Northfleet.’ And then on the right hand side you see the Church; it's full of so much history and it’s standing there gracefully, and when the bells ring - when you’re standing there - it’s so wonderful, and you can even go into the church, say a prayer and light little candles. Northfleet was the birth of my persona “Confident Queen”. When I came to Northfleet, it was a time in my life when I went through on and off relationship issues. And it really left me in a bad state. So, for five years I was, like, locked in this place of Darkness but when I managed to get some help - again from the people of Northfleet and different friends and family - I created a persona called Confident Queen and the whole idea was to say ‘You know what? You’ve come out better. Why not help other people?’. So hence Confident Queen was born and then in Northfleet, that’s where I started The Confident Children’s Program. Legacy lives on. - From Ndini (This is me), a series of photographs and interviews with local residents by Mbeke Waseme, commissioned by Cement Fields for Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive. Mbeke Waseme is a writer and photographer based in Gravesend. websites.lightrocket.com/mbekewaseme
Submitted by Mbeke Waseme