Event-filled African diaspora festival to showcase culture

Creating a hub for both elderly African immigrants to gather and socialize, as well as for youngsters to learn about culture and traditions, is the dream of organizers of the inaugural Windsor International Diaspora African Festival.

And while food and music will be festival highlights, culture and education are also on the agenda for the eight-day event beginning July 23, said founder Queen Amina Eghujovbo.

“We want to showcase our culture,” Eghujovbo said. “The festival is aimed towards speaking to the community.

“We want to tell the community that the Africans are here and we are ready to work and we need support.”

A portion of the festival’s proceeds will be earmarked toward establishing a meeting place where the growing African community in Windsor can gather.

“A lot of times our older women, once they start getting old, activities shut down for them,” Eghujovbo said. “They don’t have a community, don’t have a place to go, they don’t have anything to do.

“They deteriorate very quickly because they are inactive in the community (and) we want to change that.”

Eghujovbo said village hubs are very common in Africa. They are places to gather, tell stories, dance and socialize.

“That keeps the elder people together. We don’t have that in North America,” she said. “So we want to be able to create that kind of environment.”

The centre will also welcome newly arrived youth and encourage them to learn about African culture and also about life in Canada.

“The young (people), they’re so terrified of the things they hear about North America,” Eghujovbo said.

She said most young newcomers want to be doctors or engineers so they can earn a lot of money and live well. And she asks them why they wouldn’t want to be a police officer or sign up for military service.

The response is usually that “the police people are not good. They are very dangerous people,” she said, adding she disputes these ideas.

“We want to have them together — police will talk to them, have activities with them,” Eghujovbo said.

“If we don’t have an environment where these children can come together and listen to all the African mothers and fathers, talking to them about this beautiful community, they will never learn anything except the things they learn on the street.

“So we want to change that.”

The 2021 Statistics Canada census pegs the African immigrant population in Windsor at 5,055, but Eghujovbo believes it’s much higher and continues to grow.

Kicking off the Windsor International Diaspora African Festival (WIDA Fest) is a 10-kilometre riverfront walk/run on the evening of July 23, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Riverfront Plaza in Dieppe Gardens.

Among other highlights of WIDA Fest are the official opening ceremonies on July 28 at 4 p.m. at the downtown riverfront Festival Plaza, followed by a drum festival and Jab Jab J’Ouvert concert at 8 p.m.

A “carnival street parade” will take place July 29, starting at 1 p.m., beginning at Devonshire Road, heading along Riverside Drive to the Festival Plaza. An 8 p.m. WIDA Fest music concert will be held there as well.

The week includes a golf tournament at Roseland Golf Course, an Underground Railroad tour of a curated collection of historical sites and museums, a visit to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and a business seminar.

A screening of the film When Love Hurts, will be held July 27 at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre.

The festival wraps up July 30 with the Vigor Unsung Heroes awards gala at the Capitol Theatre, highlighting work to support humanity and goodwill.

Tickets and further information on all the festival events can be found online at https://zalentcreatives.com/widafest/.

jkotsis@postmedia.com

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