Celebrating Black History Month with Ore Ogungbayi

As part of our Black History Month celebration, we had the pleasure of hosting Ore Ogungbayi. This year's theme is “Saluting our Sisters,” and Ore is a remarkable example of a successful, resilient woman. Ore shared her story of growing up as a child of Black Nigerian immigration, fostered by a white British family. She was recently featured in a Channel 5 documentary that explored the impact of "farming," a practice where over 70,000 West African children were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995. The documentary sheds light on the controversy surrounding this official policy and the long-lasting effects it had on those impacted by it.

Despite the challenges Ore faced, she became a successful entrepreneur, author, life coach and public speaker. For over a decade, Ore has worked with our school, delivering workshops on public speaking. During her visit, Ore spoke about her success and resilience, and we are extremely proud to have her as part of our community. Ore, we salute you!

Synopsis of the documentary:

The Channel 5 documentary explores the experiences of nine individuals who were raised as part of the controversial "farming" practice. These individuals were fostered by white Britons between 1955 and 1995, and they share their stories of dealing with such a major change at a young age. For many of them, the workshop retreat was the first time they had the opportunity to connect with others who shared similar experiences. The documentary, called "White Nanny Black Child," is a personal, poignant, and sometimes unsettling reflection on identity, belonging, and the nature of family.