My name is Jeffrey Nsofor. I moved to Swansea in September 2010, without ever having heard of Swansea before. My goal was to pursue a master’s degree in finance, gain work experience, and return. However, Swansea became a second home to me because of how good the city has been to me. It is where I met my wife, and all three of our children were born here. You could say that I started a new phase of my life in Swansea.

I met my wife at church. At the time, I was not a pastor. We had a singles event, kind of like a blind date setup, and that is how we met. It was truly amazing. You come as a student, meet someone, start a life, and everything continues from there.

The main challenge initially was the feeling of loneliness. You can imagine, 14 years ago, there were very few people of African descent in Swansea. It gives me joy now to see how much that has changed. Back then, there were not many career prospects for people like us either. But God has been faithful, and even in what felt like a desert, I was able to find a wellspring. I managed to secure a job in my desired field, finance, and have progressed since.

One of the biggest challenges at the time, besides the loneliness, was the lack of representation and opportunity for people of African descent. Many people even felt the need to adjust their CVs by anglicising their names to avoid bias. For example, I have always been Jeffrey, but someone with a name like my middle name, Gotruko, might feel compelled to leave it out to avoid prejudice. Thankfully, things have changed for the better.

Another challenge then was food, we had an African shop, Exotica, from the early days, which was a huge help. However, finding an African restaurant was a challenge. There is only one in Swansea now, and there have been a few attempts to start others. Unfortunately, many did not succeed because there were not enough customers at the time. The African demographic here was largely single, not family-oriented, as it is now. It seemed Swansea was not quite mature enough to sustain that kind of business back then.

I would not say it is just me – it takes a group of people working together. The biggest highlight for me is creating a space, particularly within the church, where people feel at home. Beyond the empowerment initiatives we provide as an organisation, creating an environment where families can thrive has been key. One thing I emphasise within the workforce is the joy of hearing someone say, “I felt at home,” not because of their colour, but because of how they were treated.

As a church, we have also been able to offer scholarships and grants to people struggling with university fees. We have provided accommodation support and counselling services, recognizing the importance of spiritual and mental health support. Those are some of the things I consider major achievements, but again, it is a collective effort.

We engage by organising events that are open to the broader community. For instance, our Christmas carols are interdenominational and open to everyone, not just Christians. We also host Family Fun Days, which include bouncy castles for the children, barbecues, video games, and table tennis – it is a day for families to unwind.

We also have charitable projects, like the Samaritan’s Basket, which is essentially a food bank to help those in need.

I came up with the acronym ACT – Acknowledge, Condemn, and Teach. First, we need to acknowledge that racism and prejudice exist. For instance, my daughter came home one day and told me a boy in school said he doesn’t like her skin. That shows it is a learned behaviour, not something inherent. We need to condemn these behaviours whenever we see them and then Teach others the right thing. We are stronger together, and in the eyes of God, there is no black or white.

We need to remind ourselves daily that we are playing for humanity, not just for ourselves. When we come together, we can create a safe and prosperous community for our children.

My advice is that their voice matters. Growing up, it was common for young people’s opinions to be dismissed. But they need to know that they have a role to play in shaping their future. Their actions today will influence their tomorrow. Stay away from negative influences and embrace learning. The traditional way of learning may be changing, but the goal remains the same: to grow, improve, and learn.

I am a trustee of the African Community Centre (ACC), and we have been doing remarkable work, providing a safe space for ethnic minorities to integrate into the community. I also run a platform called “Being the Best of You,” which equips individuals, especially young people, with the tools and tips they need to thrive and become the best versions of themselves. Also, we are working on setting up a nursery in the church to provide affordable childcare for the community, given the rising cost of living.

Fy enw i yw Jeffrey Nsofor. Symudais i Abertawe ym mis Medi 2010, heb erioed glywed am Abertawe o’r blaen. Fy nod oedd dilyn gradd meistr mewn cyllid, cael profiad gwaith, a dychwelyd. Fodd bynnag, daeth Abertawe yn ail gartref i mi oherwydd pa mor dda y mae’r ddinas wedi bod i mi. Dyma lle y cyfarfûm â’m gwraig, a ganwyd pob un o’n tri phlentyn yma. Gallech ddweud fy mod wedi dechrau cyfnod newydd o fy mywyd yn Abertawe.

Cyfarfûm â fy ngwraig yn yr eglwys. Ar y pryd, nid oeddwn yn weinidog. Cawsom ddigwyddiad senglau, yn debyg i drefniant blind dêt, a dyna sut y gwnaethom gyfarfod. Roedd yn wirioneddol anhygoel. Rydych chi’n dod fel myfyriwr, yn cwrdd â rhywun, yn dechrau bywyd, ac mae popeth yn parhau o’r fan honno.

Y brif her i ddechrau oedd y teimlad o unigrwydd. Gallwch ddychmygu, 14 mlynedd yn ôl, ychydig iawn o bobl o dras Affricanaidd oedd yn Abertawe. Mae’n rhoi llawenydd i mi nawr i weld faint mae hynny wedi newid. Yn ôl bryd hynny, doedd dim llawer o ragolygon gyrfa i bobl fel ni chwaith. Ond mae Duw wedi bod yn ffyddlon, a hyd yn oed yn yr hyn oedd yn teimlo fel anialwch, roeddwn i’n gallu dod o hyd i ffynnon. Llwyddais i gael swydd yn fy maes dymunol, cyllid, ac rwyf wedi symud ymlaen ers hynny.

Un o’r heriau mwyaf ar y pryd, ar wahân i’r unigrwydd, oedd y diffyg cynrychiolaeth a chyfle i bobl o dras Affricanaidd. Roedd llawer o bobl hyd yn oed yn teimlo bod angen addasu eu CVs trwy Seisnigo eu henwau er mwyn osgoi rhagfarn. Er enghraifft, rwyf wedi bod yn Jeffrey erioed, ond efallai y bydd rhywun ag enw fel fy enw canol, Gotruko, yn teimlo gorfodaeth i’w adael allan er mwyn osgoi rhagfarn. Diolch byth, mae pethau wedi newid er gwell.

Sialens arall wedyn oedd bwyd, roedd gennym ni siop Affricanaidd, Exotica, o’r dyddiau cynnar, oedd yn help enfawr. Fodd bynnag, roedd dod o hyd i fwyty Affricanaidd yn her. Dim ond un sydd yn Abertawe yn awr, a bu ychydig ymdrechion i ddechreu eraill. Yn anffodus, ni lwyddodd llawer oherwydd nad oedd digon o gwsmeriaid ar y pryd. Roedd demograffeg Affricanaidd yma i raddau helaeth yn sengl, nid teuluoedd fel y mae ar hyn o bryd. Ymddengys nad oedd Abertawe wedi datblygu digon i gynnal y math hwnnw o fusnes bryd hynny.

Fyddwn i ddim yn dweud mai dim ond fi yw e – mae’n cymryd grŵp o bobl i weithio gyda’i gilydd. Yr uchafbwynt mwyaf i mi yw creu gofod, yn enwedig o fewn yr eglwys, lle mae pobl yn teimlo’n gartrefol. Y tu hwnt i’r mentrau grymuso a ddarparwn fel sefydliad, mae creu amgylchedd lle gall teuluoedd ffynnu wedi bod yn allweddol. Un peth rwy’n ei bwysleisio o fewn y gweithlu yw’r llawenydd o glywed rhywun yn dweud, “Roeddwn i’n teimlo’n gartrefol,” nid oherwydd eu lliw, ond oherwydd y ffordd y cawsant eu trin.

Fel eglwys, rydym hefyd wedi gallu cynnig ysgoloriaethau a grantiau i bobl sy’n cael trafferth talu ffioedd prifysgol. Rydym wedi darparu cymorth llety a gwasanaethau cwnsela, gan gydnabod pwysigrwydd cymorth ysbrydol ac iechyd meddwl. Dyna rai o’r pethau yr wyf yn eu hystyried yn gyflawniadau mawr, ond unwaith eto, mae’n ymdrech ar y cyd.

Rydym yn ymgysylltu trwy drefnu digwyddiadau sy’n agored i’r gymuned ehangach. Er enghraifft, mae ein carolau Nadolig yn rhyngenwadol ac yn agored i bawb, nid Cristnogion yn unig. Rydym hefyd yn cynnal Diwrnodau Hwyl i’r Teulu, sy’n cynnwys cestyll neidio i’r plant, barbeciws, gemau fideo, a thenis bwrdd – mae’n ddiwrnod i deuluoedd ymlacio.

Mae gennym hefyd brosiectau elusennol, fel Basged y Samariaid, sydd yn ei hanfod yn fanc bwyd i helpu’r rhai mewn angen.

Deuthum i fyny gyda’r acronym ACT – ‘Acknowledge, Condemn, and Teach’. Yn gyntaf, mae angen inni gydnabod bod hiliaeth a rhagfarn yn bodoli. Er enghraifft, daeth fy merch adref un diwrnod a dweud wrthyf fod bachgen yn yr ysgol yn dweud nad yw’n hoffi ei chroen. Mae hynny’n dangos ei fod yn ymddygiad dysgedig, nid rhywbeth cynhenid. Mae angen inni gondemnio’r ymddygiadau hyn pryd bynnag y byddwn yn eu gweld ac yna’n dysgu’r peth iawn i eraill. Rydyn ni’n gryfach gyda’n gilydd, ac yng ngolwg Duw, nid oes na du na gwyn.

Mae angen inni atgoffa ein hunain yn ddyddiol ein bod yn chwarae dros ddynoliaeth, nid dim ond i ni ein hunain. Pan ddown at ein gilydd, gallwn greu cymuned ddiogel a llewyrchus i’n plant.

Fy nghyngor i yw bod eu llais yn bwysig. Wrth dyfu i fyny, roedd yn gyffredin i farn pobl ifanc gael ei diystyru. Ond mae angen iddynt wybod bod ganddynt rôl i’w chwarae wrth lunio eu dyfodol. Bydd eu gweithredoedd heddiw yn dylanwadu ar eu yfory. Cadwch draw oddi wrth ddylanwadau negyddol a chroesawch ddysgu. Efallai bod y ffordd draddodiadol o ddysgu yn newid, ond mae’r nod yn aros yr un fath: i dyfu, gwella a dysgu.

Rwy’n ymddiriedolwr y Ganolfan Gymunedol Affricanaidd (ACC), ac rydym wedi bod yn gwneud gwaith rhyfeddol, gan ddarparu lle diogel i leiafrifoedd ethnig integreiddio i’r gymuned. Rwyf hefyd yn rhedeg platfform o’r enw “Being the Best of You,” sy’n arfogi unigolion, yn enwedig pobl ifanc, â’r offer a’r awgrymiadau sydd eu hangen arnynt i ffynnu a dod yn fersiynau gorau ohonyn nhw eu hunain. Hefyd, rydym yn gweithio ar sefydlu meithrinfa yn yr eglwys i ddarparu gofal plant fforddiadwy i’r gymuned, o ystyried costau byw cynyddol.