Forced to flee from one’s homeland with only a few suitcases, most would be bitter. However, Memories of a Ugandan Refugee is a story of gratitude for a country that opened its arms to those needing a safe harbour. Within its pages, Jalal Jaffer tells his story of growing up in Uganda and his dangerous escape from his country with his wife, Shamshad, when they and thousands of other Asians are forcibly expelled by Idi Amin in 1972. Feeling blessed with the “warm embrace” offered them in Canada, Jalal and his wife quickly adapt to their new country and eventually settle in Vancouver. After completing a law degree and being called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1978, Jalal balances his work and family life with service to the Canadian Ismaili Muslim community. Taking on increasing senior leadership roles in the community, Jalal serves two terms as Chairman of the Ismaili Tariqah & Religious Education Board for Canada (ITREB) and is named the Mukhi of Darkhana of Canada in 2002. As he documents the blessings he receives through service, he also captures important history of the growth of Ismaili Muslim institutions both in Canada and internationally. Filled with recollections and anecdotes – some meaningful and some humorous – of fascinating times, events, and people, as well as interesting reflections and moving poetry, Memories of a Ugandan Refugee is ultimately about one man’s journey on this planet as he seeks to live life well and serve family and community.

In a gripping personal account of the Asians' last days in Uganda following their expulsion by Idi Amin in 1972, this book interweaves an examination of the country's colonial history with the subsequent evolution of postindependence politics. Expelled from Uganda and arriving in a cold and overcast London, Mahmood Mamdani shares his experiences in a camp run by the UK government's resettlement board and explores the theme of political identitythe politicization of racial identity and its reproduction after independence. A telling and gripping story that will be familiar to refugees and those seeking asylum in Britain, this vivid autobiography is as pertinent today as when it was first published in 1973.

This book explores the discourse by and about refugees and asylum seekers in relation to memory with a particular focus on the United Kingdom. A series of studies using different analytical approaches is undertaken, and together the studies shed light on this overlooked area of research. The studies or ‘facets’ presented in the monograph cover a range of contexts and discursive genres: a joint BBC/refugee-authored television documentary, refugees’ oral histories, creative life writing by asylum seekers, parliamentarians’ debates, a reworking of canonical texts and sites in a protest campaign, and non-fiction testimonies and fictional works by later generations of refugee background. The monograph introduces ‘facet methodology’ to memory studies, arguing that this approach could encourage interdisciplinary research in the field.

The phrase "triumphing in the face of adversity" could have been especially created for Jamilla Govani. Few people can have a more inspiring story to tell a tale that involves starting all over again after her life was shattered, almost literally overnight. At the tender age of ten, Jamilla suddenly found herself being spirited out of her beloved Uganda, her native country. Cowering in the back of a lorry, she and other members of her family endured a hazardous and terrifying journey to the airport with gunfire in the near distance. Her father and a couple of uncles and an aunt were left behind. Idi Amin had declared the remaining Asians stateless. Prince Sadruddin Agakhan, the commissioner to the UN, negotiated a safe haven for these Asians who were then evacuated to UN camps over countries in Europe. She was one of the lucky ones who made it many didn't and then the challenge of a lifetime awaited her. She was one of the 80,000 Asians expelled from Uganda by President Idi Amin, at the height of his brutal, despotic rule that represented one of the most shameful chapters in the history of mankind. Not only he expelled the Asians but had five hundred thousand Ugandans killed by his soldiers at no fault of their own. Jamilla and her family were among 30,000 Ugandan Asians who resettled in England, arriving in that country virtually penniless and with little more than the clothes they were standing up in. They had to start all over again. Forty years later, Jamilla can reflect on a life of great achievement on many fronts with the grace of the Almighty, clearing constant hurdles along the way that would have defeated many a weaker personality. Today she is an accomplished businesswoman and the mother of three beautiful children who are integrated into the British society with great pride. The scars have healed, but the memories always remain. Last year, Jamilla visited Uganda, the village where she grew up, and as she stood on the banks of Lake Kyogi, the world stood still, and the memories of her childhood flooded through. Despite seemingly every conceivable provocation, she has never lost her faith. Now, as she fights yet another great battle, she has taken time out to write her autobiography. For anyone seeking inspiration and evidence that life's challenges are there to be met head-on, they need look no further than Jamilla as their role model. When one door closes, another always opens.

Joseph misses sharing meals with lots of people like he did back in the refugee camp, so when the neighbors finally come over, it’s a feast! A companion book to Joseph’s Big Ride, described in Kirkus as “a joyful, upbeat tale.” When Joseph and Mama lived in a refugee camp in East Africa, everyone cooked and ate together. And Joseph could always hear someone playing the awal. It’s much too quiet and lonely in his new home. Though Whoosh, the girl who lives upstairs, is friendly, Joseph misses having more people around, especially his grandmother, who still lives across the ocean. So he invites his relatives in the city to come for dinner, then he invites his teacher, then Whoosh and her mami — but everyone is too busy. Ever hopeful, Joseph picks the last greens from the garden. At least he and Mama will be ready to cook if someone comes. The next night Whoosh and her mami appear at the door with a big cake, and Whoosh and Joseph cook up a feast. A touching story about adjusting to a new home and the pleasure of cooking and sharing food with friends. Key Text Features glossary translations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.