Dr Anveer Amod, studied and lives in Ireland
My connection to Ireland
“I came to Ireland by myself at 17 to study medicine, as this was not a possibility during apartheid in South Africa. We had limited opportunities to study so I came here to Dublin and worked here for four years. I then returned to Johannesburg and worked for a few years and then my family and I travelled back to Ireland in ‘98 and have stayed here since then.
We knew of Ireland from other people of colour who did not have an opportunity to study in South Africa. My mum’s uncle had also studied in UCD in the ‘60s, so there was a sort of tradition of people coming to Ireland.
The friendliness and hospitality of the Irish was felt in South Africa. Before coming to Ireland, I was unsure of what to expect. I had read English literature and had an image of a cold, green country, which was very different from South Africa. Coming to Ireland was a big shift. I had come from a country where the races were segregated - we went to different schools, lived in different areas - and suddenly found myself fully integrated and treated just like everyone else.
This was a bit strange in the beginning, getting on the bus and not sitting in a different carriage, or going anywhere you wanted. This took a bit of getting used to but it was liberating at the same time. The biggest difference when I moved from South Africa was leaving my community. Segregation meant that we had a very tight knit community amongst our race and I was leaving that behind. However, the one thing that made this easier was how welcoming and warm the Irish are. That was very similar to how it felt back home in South Africa.
During my time in university, I met my wife and so after spending some time in South Africa together and building a family we returned to Ireland with our children. They enrolled in secondary schools here in Ireland and we have been here ever since.
When I came in the ‘70s, the late Dr Kader Asmal was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement and was very much a mentor for others and myself during this time. He offered a source of hope and in that vein I hope the relationship between Ireland and South Africa continues to grow.
Ireland gave me the opportunity of furthering my studies, pursuing a career I wanted to work in. This would not have been possible back home. I met my wife here and have now raised my family here. Ireland has been hugely supportive of freedom and change within South Africa.”
