By Yattepia Tutsahwur

The Uber Ride Home - A Chance Encounter

In May 2026, I had just returned to the UK from a short trip in Houston, Texas where I was visiting my teacher Naba Iritah Shenmira. The long-haul flight left me exhausted. My uber driver arrived on time, and we slipped into the usual small talk about the weather, my journey and where I had come from, one of those brief exchanges you know both people have had many times before.

During the 35-minute ride, he asked me what I do. I explained, in simple terms, that I am an administrative member of KEBTAH, an organisation dedicated to preserving indigenous African culture, spirituality, and knowledge. I spoke about our work, the importance of heritage, and the Medu (hieroglyphic) language. 

At the mention of Medu, he let out a soft ‘Argh’ and to my surprise, smiled broadly and said, “That's my language!” I was taken aback.“Excuse me?, I asked”

He then felt compelled to share more. He  proudly spoke about his people, their language, customs, and the community he called “my people” living in the UK. The conversation was rich, but it had to pause when we reached my home. We sat in the car for a few extra minutes, still talking, both sensing that there was much more to say.

We exchanged contact details and parted ways. Inside the house, I moved through the motions of  unpacking, starting a load of laundry and finally allowing myself to sit down “just for a while.” I fell asleep quickly, still turning our conversation over in my mind

In the days that followed, life resumed its regular rhythm.. From time to time, I thought about the uber driver and the things he had shared, but I could not find his details anywhere. Eventually, he faded into the background of my memory.

Four Months Later - An Unexpected Email

About four months later, I received an email from Kebtah's US offices. They had forwarded a message from a man in the UK who requested that a representative from Kebtah attend an event in Birmingham: The Zaghwa/Beri Tribe Heritage & Cultural Day, scheduled in just two days’ time. 

Time was short, and I already had another engagement that same day, I replied, explaining that I could only attend for a short while. Still, this person had specifically requested someone from Kebtah, and I wondered why. What was behind this invitation?

Arrival at Bingley Hall - Stepping Into Another World

The day of the event began like any other day. My husband, who is also a Kebtah representative, and I attended. When we arrived, we were immediately struck by the size of the venue. For those familiar with Birmingham it was held in the New Bingley Hall, which seats around 2,500 people.It was huge. 

Outside, we saw many men dressed in long white garments with headwraps.. My first thought was ‘is this a Muslim gathering?’. There were hundreds of them, greeting and talking to one another. Parking attendants moved calmly and efficiently, directing cars with ease.  Despite the scale of the place, the car park still had open spaces, and a few coaches were parked along 

As we stepped out of the car, I wondered if we were dressed appropriately. I already felt slightly out of place.

We searched the email for the name of the person who had invited us:Jbar Yahya. At the entrance, guarded by men posted at the doors,  we gave his name and explained that we had been invited to represent Kebtah.. One of the guards smiled and said, “Follow me, I’ll take you to him.”

He led us through to a man wearing black trousers and a black t-shirt with “Zaghwa” written in red on the chest. We repeated that we were looking for Jbar. He smiled and said, “Follow me, I’ll take you to him.”

Recognition in the Crowd - Meeting Jbar Again

We continued walking past groups of people until we reached a man dressed in a dark blue suit with a red tie. He smiled at me. I stared for a few seconds and then burst into laughter. It was my uber driver! 

We both laughed as I quickly explained to my husband how we first met.

Introducing himself formally, he  said, “My name is Jbar Adam Yahya. I am the General Secretary of the Zaghwa Community in Birmingham, which is hosting this event, and Chairman of the Luminaire Rural Development Organisation. It is my duty to make sure you are taken care of. Let me get you seated.” 

We followed him into the main hall and gasped. The interior was even more impressive than the outside.