Fortunate's gratitude song to Athlone features in new video
“For me, singing is a way of life, I’ve always loved to sing, singing helps me express my feelings and emotions,” so says Fortunate Nesangani who performs a song of gratitude in the latest Bean Feasa project video released online in recent days.
A native of Zimbabwe, Fortunate, who spent over seven years in direct provision before being granted permission to stay in Ireland, is part of the Bean Feasa group who meet regularly to sing, under the stewardship of Kara Richard and Bianca Fachel.
In the latest video in the group's series, which is available on the Athlone Family Resource Centre YouTube channel, Fortunate talks about her early life, working on the land and happy memories of dancing and singing around the fire in Zimbabwe.
She also speaks about the terror of the Robert Mugabe era, her escape to South Africa with her family before coming to Ireland with her husband David back in 2016.
Fortunate, who sings in an African choir in Athlone, shows the viewer the mobile homes in Athlone Accommodation Centre, where she and David spent the next seven and half years before eventually being granted their papers to stay in July after a major public campaign.
“It’s been a challenging and interesting journey and I will write about some day,” she says. “It's been a long walk to freedom,” Fortunate says smiling in the video before thanking the people of Athlone and Ireland who have been so good to them all along the journey.
“In South Africa, myself and my Mum and siblings and my children all loved to sing, someone just had to sing a few words and we all joined in.
“My song (in the video) was inspired by the support that I received from people of the community since I’ve arrived,” says Fortunate, who now studying social care in TUS, explaining that she is so grateful to everyone.
“The song says that I don’t know how I can express my faithfulness to you, you have been so faithful, so reliable to me and my family, you have taken me into your hearts. My song is sung in gratitude to you,” she adds in tribute before performing her song during the 11-minute video.
Facilitator Kara Richards described working with Fortunate Nesangani on her song and video as fascinating.
“I went into this thinking we were going to make a film about the conditions in the direct provision centres where Fortunate has spent the last seven and a half years. But that was not at all the story she was telling, hers is a story of gratitude, incredible strength and humility," she commented.
The latest film in the series can be seen on Athlone Family Resource Center's YouTube page - https://youtu.be/MwYegeEEvcY