This episode Manchán sits down with Kemi from Nigeria. Kemi, grew up in Igarra Eclo State in rural Nigeria before moving to a city after her mother died when she was twelve. Her town is famous for its natural beauty, with vast rocky outcrops amidst glistening streams. It’s also known for an edible land snail that is a sought-after delicacy. ‘The snail can be as large as a sausage inside a shell that is as big as an orange.’

She speaks four languages as well as English, ‘Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and my own language. Each language is like getting into a different character.  When I speak Igbo you get into their character, I act like them, I talk like them. When you speak the Hausa language, you because more like Arabs, as that’s the language from the Northern, Islamic part of the country.

She is ‘constantly shocked when people are surprised that I speak English. I tell them that we learn it in school. She is also amazed when people assume she doesn’t know how to operate modern devices. ‘Some of us are here because of safety issues, not because we don’t use a computer, or speak English or drive a car.’

Home Stories was funded by Creative Ireland alongside the county councils of Laois and Westmeath.