The Mojatu Foundation is an East Midlands institution which has supported black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities in Nottingham for over a decade. We dive into their importance to our city, and how they’re using their podcast, Bring It To The Table, to tackle some crucial issues…
Research indicates that individuals from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are disproportionately at a higher risk of developing a mental health problem in adulthood, yet they are less likely to receive the necessary support. However, the Mojatu Foundation, established in 2009, is committed to increasing awareness of the challenges faced by minority ethnic communities in Nottingham and empowering those at risk of ongoing prejudice. With a particular focus on supporting women and girls, the charity provides resources to address issues relating to health, training, employability, and community engagement, all with the goal of helping individuals to live more fulfilling lives.
Mojatu is a Swahili word which loosely translates to ‘togetherness’. This idea of coming together is at the heart of everything the foundation does, including the work of Karen Modupe, a Health and Wellbeing Specialist who leads group activities focused on encouraging social connection and “creating a welcoming environment for women to build meaningful friendships.” During the workshops, Karen offers confidential and comprehensive one-to-one sessions which she says “gives individuals the necessary emotional and wellbeing self-management skills to cope with their specific needs.” It is also a place where users can be signposted to external organisations and services that they might be in need of.
To broaden the foundation’s outreach and cater to a wider audience within the community, the ‘Men Can’ initiative has been recently launched to provide a safe space for men to openly discuss and seek help for their mental health struggles. The support group aims to create an understanding and empowering environment where men can feel heard and encouraged to seek the help they require.
We want to reach as many people as we can to inform the community of the help that’s out there, to show that it’s okay to talk about these issues and that they don’t have to be afraid
Karen explains that cultural beliefs and attitudes within certain black and minority ethnic communities can become barriers to accessing mental health support, with mental health still being considered a taboo topic for many. To address this, the Bring It To The Table podcast was created in 2020, which “aims to break down these barriers and promote open discussions on mental health and other issues which affect people from my community.”
The podcast includes a lot of real-life experiences and stories from service users, alongside specialist guests who provide an insight into particular topics mentioned on the show, such as female genital mutilation (FGM) - with upcoming episodes discussing domestic violence, human trafficking, forced marriage, and more. “We want to reach as many people as we can to inform the community of the help that’s out there, to show that it’s okay to talk about these issues and that they don’t have to be afraid.”
The Mojatu Foundation has already made significant contributions to the black and minority ethnic community, including playing a crucial role in Nottingham's declaration as a zero-tolerance city to FGM in 2016, and the foundation’s momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Karen highlights that a current aspiration is to make the podcast accessible to as many people as possible, with the hope that “it can serve as a valuable resource to anyone needing support, particularly for those who cannot access the in-person services.”
You can find every episode of the Bring It To The Table podcast on Mojatu’s website
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