LONDON: Given Suella Braverman’s excellent track record right from her childhood, her father Christie Fernandes isn’t particularly surprised by her appointment as the UK home secretary in the Liz Truss cabinet. “Suella has been a trailblazer all her life, right from her school days, when she was appointed head girl,” Christie, 75, told TOI from Wembley. “Yes, she now has one of the most powerful jobs in the world, but it didn’t happen overnight. She has been involved in politics since she was a young girl, accompanying us and MPs, canvassing. My wife Uma was a nurse at the NHS and stood for Parliament twice and didn’t make it. Iwas a political activist. ”
Uma, a former councillor, ran a political surgery where women in need of housing and extra funding would come seeking help. “We knew local politics and worked hard. If paving stones weren’t properly placed, we would take it up with authorities and ensure that the elderly didn’t have a fall,” he said. Christie was born in Nairobi, Kenya, the eldest of five children, to Roque Claudius Malakios Fernandes from Assagao and Cassiana from Calangute. Roque worked for the East African Power and Lighting Company, and on his return to Goa, unsuccessfully contested elections to the post of sarpanch in Assagao.
After schooling at Dr Ribe-iro School, Christie worked at the land and settlement government department. His family left Kenya for Goa in the early 1960s, and in 1967, he migrated alone to northwest London. It was a struggle with no friends or family in London at the time. “When I came to London, because of my colour, I was given only blue collared jobs — factory work,” he said. After working blue-collared jobs, Christie took up other work and went on to get a degree in political science.
He ensured Suella got an all-round education and played sports too. Suella played the centre-back position in hockey while growing up, and was named outstanding hockey player at Harrow Hockey Club, he said. “She could go on the offence and defence. She was very strategy-minded even then,” he said, adding that she is also a graded pianist.
He recalls Suella asking him when they were holidaying in the US and when Barack Obama became president, if she could become like him one day. “I told her that if Obama coming from Kenya could do it in America, you too can do it in England,” Christie said.
Uma, a former councillor, ran a political surgery where women in need of housing and extra funding would come seeking help. “We knew local politics and worked hard. If paving stones weren’t properly placed, we would take it up with authorities and ensure that the elderly didn’t have a fall,” he said. Christie was born in Nairobi, Kenya, the eldest of five children, to Roque Claudius Malakios Fernandes from Assagao and Cassiana from Calangute. Roque worked for the East African Power and Lighting Company, and on his return to Goa, unsuccessfully contested elections to the post of sarpanch in Assagao.
After schooling at Dr Ribe-iro School, Christie worked at the land and settlement government department. His family left Kenya for Goa in the early 1960s, and in 1967, he migrated alone to northwest London. It was a struggle with no friends or family in London at the time. “When I came to London, because of my colour, I was given only blue collared jobs — factory work,” he said. After working blue-collared jobs, Christie took up other work and went on to get a degree in political science.
He ensured Suella got an all-round education and played sports too. Suella played the centre-back position in hockey while growing up, and was named outstanding hockey player at Harrow Hockey Club, he said. “She could go on the offence and defence. She was very strategy-minded even then,” he said, adding that she is also a graded pianist.
He recalls Suella asking him when they were holidaying in the US and when Barack Obama became president, if she could become like him one day. “I told her that if Obama coming from Kenya could do it in America, you too can do it in England,” Christie said.