Ellie Kisyombe
Ellie Kisyombe will run as a Social Democrat candidate in Dublin’s North Inner City in the local elections on May 24 next for a seat in Dublin City Council.
The Social Democrats write:
“Ellie Kisyombe came to Ireland from Malawi in 2010 and has spent the last eight years living in Direct Provision. During this time she’s lived through and witnessed the uncaring conditions people in this country’s asylum system experience.
Following a volunteering position with the Irish Refugee Council, Ellie co-founded Our Table in 2015 as a response to the ban on asylum seekers cooking for themselves and in order to give an outlet to her passion for food and cooking.
Our Table is as a community-based, non-profit project designed to highlight the need to end direct provision in Ireland. The project operates pop-up cafés in Dublin and provides catering services in the rest of the country.
Creativity, activism and entrepreneurship have been the foundations of Ellie’s life in both Ireland and Malawi – lessons and talents she hopes to bring to Dublin City Council.”
Further to Ellie getting a huge amount of support on Twitter last night, Ellie tweeted this morning:
I want to take this opportunity in thanking all of you for your great love and support!! I am not sure which right words to use!! Am speechless ❤ ( The community spirit) That’s what is known to me from Irish people am proud to be here! Ireland is home for me!! (Zikomo Kwambili)