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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Today with David McCullough on RTE Radio 1.
Chapter 2: What significant achievement did Helen Ogbu accomplish in Galway?
History was made in Galway on Friday when Labour councillor Helen Ogbu was elected Mayor of the City. The latest stage in a remarkable personal journey from growing up in Nigeria to building a new life in Galway to opening her home to more than 30 foster children over the years. Mayor Helen Ogbu joins me now. Good morning to you and congratulations. Good morning, David, and thank you so much.
Thank you. It's a huge achievement for you personally. You're the first person of colour to be mayor of Galway City. Do you think that is an important step?
Chapter 3: What personal journey led Helen Ogbu to become Galway's mayor?
Well, what I would say is I give it back to the people of Galway and also to my colleagues. I see it as a tremendous honour and privilege to be elected as the mayor of Galway.
Yeah.
I came here 21 years ago and Galway became my home. But I never saw this coming. But it's true community engagement and giving back to the community that has brought me this far.
Now, as you say, you've been 21 years in Galway. But I believe you were interested in public service even as a girl growing up in Nigeria. You wanted to be an ambassador.
That's true.
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Chapter 4: How did Helen Ogbu's background in Nigeria influence her community work?
You've actually done a lot of research, David. Yeah. Well, what happened was we do this composition in primary school in Nigeria. And what I wrote, like they always ask, what would you like to be in future? And I said, I would like to be an ambassador. And then that was a very big word. I didn't actually like my dad used to take us on grinds.
And so I must have heard the word from him and the meaning of the word. But that just stuck with me. And that was what I said. I was going to do it. going to be.
Very good. OK, well, you might not, well, not an ambassador yet, but you are a mayor and a councillor. And what brought you to Galway, what led you to leave Nigeria was tragedy.
Yes. It was, yeah.
Chapter 5: What motivated Helen Ogbu to start fostering children?
Yeah. What brought me, tragedy actually happened after I had settled in Galway. But there were some issues that were happening, unfolding before the final tragedy, before my husband was killed. He was a politician. He was into politics and politics. there were some issues and it was unsafe.
Yeah, so you and your daughter moved to Galway and sadly he was assassinated subsequently.
Yeah, he was assassinated in 2010.
That's a terrible price to pay for involvement in politics, isn't it?
Chapter 6: How did Helen Ogbu transition from fostering to politics?
It is a very, yeah, it is. And it's something that is still raw for me. It's something that, you know, you can't, you know, you can never erase it. It's part of me. It will always be part of me and my daughter. Yeah.
And Helen, are you able to go back to Nigeria when you wanted to visit relatives or is it still dangerous?
Well, I can still go back to Nigeria. Yeah, I've got my dad is there and I've got my siblings as well in Nigeria. So I do go back. But like in everywhere, you're cautious whenever you travel. You're just kind of very aware of your safety as well and put steps in place as well, measures in place to make sure that you stay safe. But I do go back, yeah.
Yeah. So you arrived in Ireland. What made you choose Galway? There's something.
I had my husband's friends. My husband had friends here in Galway and I think that was why, because I never knew anything about Galway. So he had friends and that was how I came to Galway and they've become my friends now. And I never regret the day I came to Galway. So I think it was destined to be and I'm here now.
Yeah, and it's a very welcoming city. Did you find it welcoming?
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Chapter 7: What values attracted Helen Ogbu to the Labour Party?
It is very welcoming. It's an inclusive city. It's a city that you come in and you just get that vibe, you know, that vibe of inclusivity, that vibe of just openness to want to help, to reach out to help. You always hear people ask you, how can I help you? What can I do for you? You know, people wanting to help you to feel at home, to feel settled.
So, and that's one unique aspect of Galway, which most people don't know about. And I think a lot of people would testify to that, that Galway is a city where, you know, you come in, you feel welcome, you have the opportunity. People, even if you don't feel that you don't see the opportunity, people present the opportunity to you.
People identify some of the values in you and give you, they enable you to achieve those values as well.
And after you moved to Galway, you became involved in volunteering and various aspects of community work.
Yes, David. I would say my life has always been a life of volunteering and community. I actually started volunteering and I volunteered with Cope Galway. I volunteered with Galway Simon Community. That was then. And also volunteered with Galway Volunteer Centre, where I ended up getting my job. I still work with Galway Volunteer Centre. 17 years now. And so volunteering has been my life.
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Chapter 8: What challenges did Helen Ogbu face during her campaign?
I volunteered with the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, the Galway City Women's Shed, which I actually became the first co-chair of the Women's Shed. And yeah, I've done a lot of volunteering. Volunteering has been my life. And it's something that I actually currently do now. supporting community groups and charities, training them on best practice along volunteer management.
And you've also fostered, I think it's more than 30 children. And I was reading an article in the Irish Times by Jan Hogan talking about that. What brought you to fostering, Helen?
Well, from just way back in Nigeria, growing up, I like my home, my mom, my parents. Actually, I didn't know. I didn't say that's fostering then. But now when I came to Ireland, I just thought that was what it was. We would have our homes. My parents would like nurture young people.
whenever I would travel to a village or maybe families that maybe are struggling, they would like speak to my parents. And my parents, like if we had a spare space or beds in the house, they would bring these children home and my parents would nurture them. So I ended up having more siblings than my biological siblings. And we all grew up together. So that was my intro into fostering.
But then when I came to Ireland, I actually didn't think about fostering. I was actually contacted by the Roscommon Social Services to help organise a kind of a recruitment drive amongst migrants. And then they just... told me, well, I don't think we should organise something. I think we should actually recruit you. And that was how I got into fostering.
And I would tell you, it's something like one of the things that I've done in life that, you know, I feel so honoured, so privileged and, you know, blessed to have done.
Yeah. You moved into politics. What made you choose the Labour Party? What made you choose politics?
Thank you so much, David. Well, I would say politics wasn't what I saw myself getting into. I've always been someone who is passionate about community. I call my life a life of community, someone who is passionate about social change. So I've always been involved in social activism and community activism as well. So that was how I got into politics.
But then Labour Party, their values, their values, you know, the core principles of equality, equity, diversity. You can see the diversity, fairness, solidarity and justice. That was what actually attracted me to the Labour Party. You can see how inclusive they are, how encouraging and supportive they are. and how their core values around equity, equality and diversity is actually evidenced.
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