Young people in Preston have been discovering their heritage in a project coinciding with the 75^th anniversary of the partition of India.

Ancestral Journeys is a project aimed at educating and informing young Muslim men about the history of their ancestral homeland and the mass migration of people from the Indian sub-continent to the UK. Much of this migration has taken place since 1947 when India and Pakistan became independent countries.

The intergenerational project, which has explored individual and family heritage, has been developed between Preston United Youth Development Programme and Lancaster-based charity, Lancashire Youth Challenge. 

Local history teacher, Stephen Archer, led several educational workshops exploring the history of the Indian sub-continent. The young people interviewed their parents and grandparents about their experiences of migrating from India and Pakistan over the past seven decades.

The teenagers also interviewed and filmed a local community leader about her experiences of moving from Pakistan as a six-month-old baby to settle in the UK during the 1960s.

“Ancestral Journeys has given the boys a sense of belonging and an understanding of the contribution that their grandparents have made to society,” said Omar.

“They now realise how difficult it was for their grandparents and made them appreciate what their lives are like now.”

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The project will continue in December with an emphasis on mental health. A spoken word artist will work with the group and another film will be produced. 

Ancestral Journeys is part of a three-year programme entitled Our Place In The World, designed and run by Lancashire Youth Challenge.

To view the Ancestral Journeys film, visit the Lancashire Youth Challenge website.

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