Narenda Thanki: Being a Child in Uganda Derby, Uk
About Narendra Thanki
Narendra Is a very talkative and fun person to be around. He is currently a driving instructor. In this interview we talked about what life was like for him, growing up in Uganda, Africa.
So, tell me a bit about your family.
I have a brother, and he suffered from polio. Polios like when the leg doesn't grow. Both legs don't grow the same or one leg is shorter than others or weaker. His right leg was affected by polio. He did go to school. So he would walk with a limp and all that. And I had to help him all the time, to carry his books or be with him and see his needs all the time. And my dad did get to the specialist hospital in Kenya Nairobi. There was a specialist hospital for polio, where he was operated on. So my family traveled from Uganda to Kenya, Nairobi to get his operation, we did travel three or four times that his leg was made straight. So that hardship was there obviously, but he did teach me to care for people. And so that I develop that nature of helping others. Wow, that must have been very hard on you.
What was it like living in Uganda?
It was very lovely. Weather was good. Everything was okay. We had no TV, no mobile phones, no internet. So after school we went outdoors playing hockey, volleyball, cricket, or any outdoor games.
“I worked very very hard [to support my family.] ”
-Narendra Thanki
Why did you leave Uganda?
The background was the politics of Uganda. Uganda was taken over by the army. The new ruler decided to kick out all the British passport holders, so many individuals' lives were disrupted,like my education was disturbed, my friendships, and my life.
The last question is, was it easy adjusting to the environment and lifestyle in the UK?
to start with, no. I think the biggest setback was that in Uganda, the weather was warm and the climate. When we came to the UK, we were freezing. Oh, that must have been weird having such a big change.
Yeah. Had to start to wear sweaters, with all the snow. So that was one thing, next finding the job, regardless of whatever job, you didn't see that your status was high, but a low job still made a difference, we took it and worked.
Thank you for your time, and thoughtful answers, is there anything you would like to add?
No problem! And no, there isn’t anything else I would like to add.
“We never saw anyone as muslim, hindu...we treat eachother like human beings.”
By Anaya Thanki
