By Sabine Kast
On Friday, the 11th of February, the UPEACE and local, El Rodeo and Ciudad Colon, community celebrated The UPEACE Africa Night, the long-awaited, and annually largest cultural event at the University. The event was organized and run by UPEACE'S African students. Visiting lecturers and Senior Great Lakes Program fellows from Africa joined the students in funding and celebrating the event. Other generous sponsors supported the organizers in their aspiration to hold the event free of charge in line with African tradition.
The exciting and fun-filled entertainment program included dances from Nigeria, Congo and Cameroon; an African choir welcomed the crowd with the famous African, the Jambo Song, and interested the guests with other popular songs from throughout Africa; a group comprised of both staff and students recited African poetry; and guests had the opportunity of winning great prizes and gaining knowledge about Africa by participating in the African Quiz.
Vice-Rector, Amr Abdalla, who had returned to Costa Rica from his home country, Egypt, in time for the celebration; and Dr. Butera, the Head of the Great Lakes Program in the African office, who flew in from Addis Ababa - Ethiopia on Thursday, shared a few inspiring words on the evening.
Guests were invited to have dinner in UPEACE’s lush garden. Under lit-up bamboo and banana leaf huts food from South, East, West and North Africa was served. Dishes included Chapati, Chakalaka, Pilau, Moi Moi, Beans, chicken Stews and a range of fruits salads. For the meat lovers, a never to be forgotten barbeque filled the air with the sweet smell of meat and filled plates with steaks.
One guest described the event, as an event for all five senses. After the guests had filled their stomachs, satisfied their taste buds with African cuisine, and the entertainment program came to an end with the handing out of luxury prizes from a raffle that had helped raise money for the event; the DJ opened up the dance floor with the modern version of “Waka Waka” – an African song that made popular worldwide during the FIFA World Cup 2010.
African dance music got the crowd moving. As an alternative down in the garden by the bond fire, a drum circle of professionals and non-professionals gathered providing guests with more tribal music. The beating of the drums was mesmerizing causing guests to dance around the fire.
The Ubuntu team wishes to thank all those, guests and sponsors alike, for making this celebration an unforgettable experience and an absolute success.
