Our story

The first time most of us met under one roof was at Mr Samuel Ujukwu's wedding to Queen, now Mrs Queen Ujukwu, on 8 December 1984. Those of us at the wedding swapped landline numbers, for those who had one, and we kept in touch.

The idea of coming together as a community was first raised when we visited Mr Sunday Emedo after the loss of his cousin, Mr Egwuanumku. Our first proper discussion about forming Abbi Community UK took place at Mr and Mrs John Nwandei's house in Kilburn, and our first meeting as Abbi Community UK was held there in 1986.

The aim was simple: a support network for Abbi people in London. A way to get to know one another, socialise and share news from home.

Before mobile phones

Forty years ago it was very hard to stay in touch with our families back home. Some of us went to a public phone box to make calls. A letter by post could take three months, and airmail about two weeks. Most news travelled with whoever was next going home, carrying letters, money and medicine for our loved ones and bringing back news.

The first meetings

Mr John Nwandei, the eldest among us, was made our first President, and Mr Ben Ossai, now Pastor Ben Ossai, our General Secretary. We agreed to meet every month and to take turns hosting in our homes, by age. Mr and Mrs Nwandei hosted us for a long time before the turns began, partly because few of us had the space. Most of us had one room.

We spent about an hour on the meeting itself. The rest of the time we ate, talked and danced to Ukwuani music from a cassette player. There were only nine of us, but we were very committed. Come rain or shine, we were there.

Today

Abbi Community UK is now UK wide. Members attend from, and host meetings in, Birmingham, Peterborough, Manchester and other places, and our membership keeps growing. Forty years on, we are still here, growing from strength to strength.

Adapted from A Brief History of Abbi Community UK by Dr Ben Olisemeke, with Mr MacDonald Abamba and Mrs Ebele Nwandei, in our 40th anniversary magazine.