Community African cookery workshops with the emphasis on healthy eating are due to be launched in Ipswich later this year.

Lara Uzokwe is organising the classes, to be held from September to November, as part of Karibu's activities for Aspire Black Suffolk.

East Anglian Daily Times: Lara with sister Stella at their African cookery workshopLara with sister Stella at their African cookery workshop (Image: Archant)

Karibu African Women's Support Group provides information, advice, help, support and counselling services to African and minority ethnic women and their families in Suffolk.

Lara held a taster workshop at Burlington Baptist Church Hall in Ipswich, where participants learned to cook Jollof Rice, a classic West African dish.

She said: "Everyone really enjoyed it and liked the Jollof Rice.

"The classes will be about healthy cooking, with less oil than usual and lots of spices."

East Anglian Daily Times: Stella teaching a workshop in how to make Jollof RiceStella teaching a workshop in how to make Jollof Rice (Image: Archant)

Lara said the cookery classes will feature recipes from countries including Gambia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Ghana.

Recipes to try on the Karibu website include chilled avocado soup, East African sweet pea soup and Yassa, a Senegalese chicken and rice dish.

Lara will also be running four Yoruba language classes in July and October.

Both the cookery and language classes will be funded by some of the Arts Council England funding which was awarded earlier this year.

East Anglian Daily Times: The West African dish Jollof RiceThe West African dish Jollof Rice (Image: Archant)

The Aspire Black Suffolk project will also hold a wide range of other classes and workshops this summer, hoping to create a long-lasting impact and legacy in Suffolk, predominantly among young black people.

The planned activities were announced in April, after the project was awarded £25,000 in funding from DanceEast, Sizewell C, two Suffolk County councillors and Arts Council England.

They include African storytelling, Black history talks, a Black Suffolk photo exhibition, dance performances, DJ sets and family drumming workshops, as well as film screenings, live music, Q&As and poetry.

The programme will run in parallel with the Power of Stories exhibition at Christchurch Mansion, featuring three original costumes from Marvel’s Black Panther film.

East Anglian Daily Times: Taking part in the African cookery workshopTaking part in the African cookery workshop (Image: Archant)

A stunning new community-designed mural has already been created on the Waterfront, managed by those behind the popular Art Eat Festival.

To find out more about the African cookery and Yoruba language classes, visit the Karibu website.

For more information about Aspire Black Suffolk, visit the project's website.