Saj spices up India project

TRADITIONAL COSTUME: Saj Ghafoor, right, who runs the HDM Spice Shop in Carlisle, with Irthington School pupils, from the left, Joanna Greenhill, six, Lachlan Ewart, eight, Toni Atkinson, six, Ellie Gray, eight, Sophie McAleese, five, Jessica Matthews, seven and Rebecca Grice, nine Picture: PHIL RIGBY

BY KELLY EVE

THE owner of Carlisle’s first halal food store has embarked on a new project to help Cumbrian children discover Islamic culture and traditions.

The first stop for Saj Ghafoor, who runs the HDM Spice Shop on Brook Street, was Irthington School.

Children made their own pakoras as part of the session.

Last week, during ‘International Week’, she also spoke to around 90 pupils at Carlisle’s Trinity School.

The inaugural session at Irthington has been hailed a huge success by new headteacher Lynn Harrison.

Mrs Ghafoor said: “I’m taking along clothes, jewellery and sometimes food and letting pupils find out about the traditions.

“The youngsters are open-minded at that age and I want to let them experience and get ideas about the religion and give them the opportunity to ask questions.

“The children have been so excited, they are coming out with so many questions. One little girl even dragged her dad down to the shop and persuaded him to pick up some ingredients to make their own pakoras at home.

“I think something like this is doing a lot of good, which is why I wanted to do it. It is breaking down a lot of barriers.

“Quite a lot of children have probably not even seen an Asian face and this is the first opportunity for them to see a person and ask them questions.

“It makes such a difference to meet and talk to someone rather than reading a text book.”

Irthington head Mrs Harrison said: “Part of our geography curriculum was to compare where we live with a developing country. I’d chosen India.

“I’ve only recently come up here from working in Cheshire and I knew the school needed to improve its global awareness.

“I was struggling to get someone relevant to come in and speak to the pupils but by luck Saj sent in her flyer and I immediately booked her. She came in wearing the most beautiful outfit and the children sat for an hour soaking it all up like a sponge.

“It was our harvest festival last week and all they could talk about was how they wanted to help people in India.

“Our cook has also been making them treats to go with their lunches and we’re going to have a week of Indian meals on the menu after half-term.”

Pupils will also get to visit temples in Newcastle after the half-term break.

Mrs Ghafoor has lived in Carlisle for more than 30 years. She is married to Abdul and the couple have four children, aged 10, 13, 15 and 20.

The family’s business, HDM Spice Shop, opened in January and is understood to be the only such store within 60 miles