An entire week full of a series of events to raise people’s awareness of the riches Africa has to offer culminated on Sunday with a show full of rhythms performed by three African children’s clubs.
Children dressed in traditional costumes from Eritrea, Ghana and Ethiopia entertained several hundred people at the Internasjonalt Hus.
Curious of the culture
The Norwegian-African youth dancing on stage in an African fashion show received applause from the audience made up of families curious of the culture; many of them Norwegian, many African and some mixed.
- Means a lot
- It means a lot for the children to get to know other children from Africa, says Hiwet Tehie from Eritrea, mother of one of the girls representing the Eritrean children’s club on stage.
- Many Norwegians think of Africa as one country, but the fact is even many Africans don’t know other African cultures. Africa is made up of 54 countries, and we all have our own unique identity, says Tehie, wearing her white traditional Eritrean costume.
Impressed
Chiku Ali, a storyteller from Tanzania living in Bergen, is impressed by what has been accomplished during the week called African days in Stavanger.
- In Bergen we never would have managed to gather all Africans like this. I’m impressed that Stavanger has succeeded this way, says Ali, who has lived in Bergen for 24 years.
- It’s incredible for Ethiopian and Eritrean children to perform on the same stage, considering the history of the two countries, says Chiku Ali, referring to the war from 1998 to 2000.
Great success
Petter Gilsvik, director at Internasjonalt Hus, is very happy with the past week.
- It’s been a great success. We look forward to organizing similar weeks for other nationalities next year, Gilsvik says.
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