Meet a ‘Logan Legend’ – Cecilia Ossa
Meet the 8 Logan Legends inspiring our city – and share the legend in your life with us.
When Cecilia Ossa arrived in Australia in 2003 she carried with her not just 3 young children, but a lifetime of memories, traditions, and the quiet strength of a woman determined to build a better life.
Fleeing Uganda as a refugee she landed in Logan, a place that would become her sanctuary and the community in which she would plant new roots.
‘In Uganda, life was hard,’ says Cecilia, now in her 50s. ‘We came here with nothing, but we were welcomed’.
Cecilia Ossa: From refugee to role model
‘The government helped us with food, shelter, and school for the kids. I went to TAFE to learn English. It wasn’t easy, but I had studied back home so I managed.’
Logan, with its multicultural heart, offered Cecilia more than just a place to live, it offered belonging. Her children quickly made friends at school and through neighbours and local networks, Cecilia began to find her footing.
But it wasn’t until she discovered the Global Food Markets, held every Sunday morning at Croydon Road in Woodridge, that Cecilia says she started to feel more at home in Logan.
ABOVE: Cecilia Ossa.
‘When I arrived here the kids didn’t like the food we had. But then we heard about Global Food Markets and we found food from home: cassava, potatoes and vegetables,’ Cecilia says.
The markets soon became more than just a place to shop, they became a lifeline, a connection to her roots and a bridge to her future.
It wasn’t long before Cecilia began growing traditional African vegetables, including pumpkin leaf, cassava leaves, amaranth, and 3 different types of rosella. By 2011, Cecilia had her own stall at the markets.
‘I love to grow food that we had at home in Africa. We eat them back home, and now we grow them here,’ she says.
‘I make a bit of money to raise my kids and support my family back in the refugee camp. I send money for school fees, books, and medicine.
‘Some of the vegetables we sell, you can’t find them in the big markets. But at the markets people from all over the world come, it’s multicultural. You see vegetables from so many different countries.’
ABOVE: Cecilia Ossa at the Global Food Markets.
Cecilia’s garden is a family affair, and over the years her children have helped plant, water, and harvest the crops, something she says has had a life-changing effect on her ‘babies’.
‘It keeps them busy and teaches them responsibility,’ she says.
‘Our parents used to say: ‘Money is in the ground. If you dig, you make money’. That’s what I tell my kids. You dig, you grow vegetables and you make money.’
Logan has embraced Cecilia’s culture and she has given back in return. Often on weekends Cecila and her sister and their families gather in Jacaranda Park to teach the next generations traditional dances and drumming.
Her children have also been taught their mother’s native tongue, Ma’di, so they never forget where they come from.
Cecilia’s life is a testament to the power of community and the importance of staying connected to one’s roots.
From the red soil of Uganda to the fertile gardens of Logan, Cecilia has built a life filled with purpose, pride, and love.
Cecilia is one of 8 incredible Logan Legends whose stories celebrate resilience, belonging and the flavours that make our city unique.
Visit the Logan Legends page to watch the full series and share the story of a Logan Legend you know. loganlegends.au
