“It was surreal, as I saw him, I knew he was my dad. I just knew.”
Pastor Vaz Smith was born in Clarendon, Jamaica in 1957.
“There were eight of us altogether, six boys and two girls…”
“My dad left for Britain when I was about three years old… My mum left when I was seven… I just sit and cry because I used to think ‘How can my mother leave me and go to Britain and I don’t know when I’m going to see her again…’ I was just told I am going to England to your father.”
“About four years later, my brother and myself [came] over to Britain… I was 12 and my brother was 13… so that is when my other life started.”
“I remember going to the changing room once when we were doing games and one or two of the guys is looking to see if I had a tail.”
“Being different, these guys would push you to see if you are willing to stand up…”
“I got saved in 1990, the same year I left Newport.”
“The highlight of my life in Britain was that I formed my life here in terms of my education, in terms of understanding how to interact, skills and gifts were developed in this country, my businesses – my children and my grandchildren, friends…”
“My heart says to me I am a Jamaican. I have never seen myself in any other way.”
“This year [2019] is 50 years since I’ve been in Britain…”
“Roedd yn swrrealaidd, pan welais i e, roeddwn i’n gwybod mai ef oedd fy nhad. Roeddwn i jest yn gwybod.”
Ganed Vaz Smith yn Clarendon, Jamaica yn 1957.
“Roedd yna wyth ohonom ni i gyd, chwe bachgen a dwy eneth...”
“Gadawodd fy nhad i fynd i Brydain pan roeddwn i’n tua thair mlwydd oed... Gadawodd fy mam pan roeddwn i’n saith... roeddwn i’n eistedd ac yn wylo gan fy mod i’n arfer meddwl ‘Sut gall fy mam fy ngadael i a mynd i Brydain a does gen i ddim syniad pa bryd y gwelaf i hi eto...’ Y cwbl a ddwedwyd wrthyf oedd ’mod i’n mynd i Loegr at fy nhad.”
“Tua phedair blynedd wedyn, [daeth] fy mrawd a minnau drosodd i Brydain... roeddwn i’n 12 a fy mrawd yn 13... felly dyna pa bryd y dechreuodd fy mywyd arall.”
“Rwy’n cofio mynd i’r ystafell newid unwaith pan roedden ni’n gwneud chwaraeon ac un neu ddau o’r bechgyn eraill yn edrych i weld a oedd gen i gynffon.”
“[Os oedd] rhywun yn wahanol, fe fyddai’r bechgyn yn eich gwthio, i weld oeddech chi’n fodlon sefyll eich tir...”
“Rwy’n cofio gweithio’r marchnadoedd gan fy mod i angen hel cyfalaf... Rwy’n cofio inni brynu siop ym Mhorthcawl, a honno oedd ein siop manwerthu gyntaf. Roedd hynny o tua 1976 tan 1980...”
“Fe ges i fy achub yn 1990, y flwyddyn y gwnes i adael Casnewydd.”
“Uchafbwynt fy mywyd ym Mhrydain oedd fy mod wedi ffurfio fy mywyd yma yn nhermau fy addysg, yn nhermau deall sut i ryngweithio, sgiliau a doniau a ddatblygais yn y wlad hon, fy musnesau – fy mhlant a fy wyrion, ffrindiau...”
“Mae fy nghalon yn dweud mai Jamaicaidd wyf fi. ’Dwyf i erioed wedi gweld fy hun mewn unrhyw ffordd arall.”
“Eleni [2019], mae 50 mlynedd ers imi fod ym Mhrydain...”