A Southwark business has donated ‘culturally appropriate’ books to a Peckham charity that largely works with middle aged and elderly African and Caribbean people, to help them ‘maintain and remember their culture’.
Publishing company Ebony Life gave books to Elimhouse Community Association that ‘ reflect the richness of everyday African and Caribbean life from its people, culture to traditions’, according to owner Tayo Idowu.
The donation also includes books that look back to the people, fashion and music of ‘swinging 60s’ Britain as well as other English traditions.
Centre manager and former Peckham councillor Aubyn Graham said: “The books are a brilliant idea in that they will help our users maintain and remember their culture. We’ll definitely be using them at the centre on a daily basis.”
Mr Idowu added: “The idea for the reminiscence colouring and word search books came from a conversation with a friend and research I read whilst I was shielding from COVID showed that there is a lack of culturally appropriate services and resources for the African Caribbean seniors and those with dementia,” said Mr Idowu.
Angela Sandiford, a carer for her 90-year-old mother, said: “Culturally appropriate resources are essential for people from BAME communities because they are more likely to engage with these resources. As they’ll help them to access earlier memories thus encouraging social interaction which is good for their well-being.”
Brilliant idea. Us elderly folk are ignored by the media and we contributed so much after the War and rebuilding London. When you see things that bear no relation to our younger lives we drift into forgetting where we came from.