tumaini festival 2014
CONTEXT
Dzaleka is the only refugee camp in Malawi; it is located in Dowa district 45 kilometers from Lilongwe the Malawi capital city. Its population is 19,000 refugees and asylum seekers from mainly the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi and a small number of people from Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and more.
There are many cultures and rich diversity within Dzaleka that every one can discover and learn from. Each and every one of the forcibly displaced persons in Dzaleka is a survivor and has an inspiring story to tell.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The festival will be named “Tumaini,” a Swahili word meaning hope, organized by Dzaleka Cultural Association (DCA).
The festival will feature music, poetry, comedy, theater, acrobatic, dance, drums, traditional food and art exhibitions. It will take place at Dzaleka refugee camp, and this will be the first edition of such an event.
The festival will be a week-long endeavor of performances, workshops and events. Events during the week in Dzaleka are throughout the community celebrating diverse art forms. A timeline is listed below. Tumaini Festival will culminate with a final day performance inter-mixing feature acts from Lilongwe, Dzaleka and surrounding villages.
A diverse group of talent from Lilongwe, Dzaleka, and surrounding villages have already confirmed their performances for November 22: Sirius and Konkalazi (Lilongwe), Blasto (Lilongwe), Neil and the new vibration (England &Lilongwe), George Kalukusha (Lilongwe), Daughters Band (Lilongwe), Lulu (Lilongwe), Babu Bébé (Dzaleka), Amahoro Drummers (Dzaleka), Menes (Dzaleka), Asafa (Dzaleka), Rwanda Dance (Dzaleka), Muganda (Surrounding villages), Living Room poets (Lilongwe) and many more to be confirmed. Similarly, artists and creators from the community will be showcased through an art exhibition alongside the performance in a small tent.
PROJECT PURPOSE / NEED
Since Dzaleka was founded a refugee camp in 1994, there has never been a large event organized centered on the needs of refugees as human, social, and expressive beings. Dzaleka needs an event apart from World Refugee Day and Women Day events which are centered on official speeches and a few performances. Dzaleka needs a big event that can bring joy, hope, allow people to reduce the trauma and forget about persecution that leads people to flee their countries to become refugees. Refugees at Dzaleka a need for an avenue to enjoy artistic expression, experience emotional space from their life difficulties, and foster pride as local and Malawian national artists celebrate peace among a population of people who have been forced to flee. Dzaleka needs an avenue to promote its strengths and bring its voice to Malawi.
While Malawi has ratified the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, it holds nine reservations to this convention. Specifically, this means that refugees do not have the right to employment, the right to property, or the freedom of movement. This greatly isolates refugees, limits their financial capacity, and restricts their ability to access cultural events available to Malawians and expatriates.
Tumaini Festival will meet all these needs, while also benefitting the host community as we all stand, sing, and dance together for peace.
PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Tumaini Festival aims to promote Dzaleka talents and cultures to Malawians and expats living in Malawi, to promote Dzaleka it self as a place of unity, peace, coexistence and harmony among refugees and Malawian populations.
Dzaleka is a multicultural place where people from different 10 countries live together with different ways of doing things; Tumaini Festival will give to everyone a chance to discover what other countries can do without paying any money for a better understanding.
TRANSPORT
For those who do not know where Dzaleka is, we will organize public transport for them to come, but the festival is free entrance.
[Directions: Follow the M1 north from Lilongwe. Pass the airport, and pass Lingadzi town. Turn right towards Dowa / Dowa Teachers College. Dzaleka is approximately 15 minutes down the paved road]
Dzaleka is the only refugee camp in Malawi; it is located in Dowa district 45 kilometers from Lilongwe the Malawi capital city. Its population is 19,000 refugees and asylum seekers from mainly the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi and a small number of people from Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and more.
There are many cultures and rich diversity within Dzaleka that every one can discover and learn from. Each and every one of the forcibly displaced persons in Dzaleka is a survivor and has an inspiring story to tell.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The festival will be named “Tumaini,” a Swahili word meaning hope, organized by Dzaleka Cultural Association (DCA).
The festival will feature music, poetry, comedy, theater, acrobatic, dance, drums, traditional food and art exhibitions. It will take place at Dzaleka refugee camp, and this will be the first edition of such an event.
The festival will be a week-long endeavor of performances, workshops and events. Events during the week in Dzaleka are throughout the community celebrating diverse art forms. A timeline is listed below. Tumaini Festival will culminate with a final day performance inter-mixing feature acts from Lilongwe, Dzaleka and surrounding villages.
A diverse group of talent from Lilongwe, Dzaleka, and surrounding villages have already confirmed their performances for November 22: Sirius and Konkalazi (Lilongwe), Blasto (Lilongwe), Neil and the new vibration (England &Lilongwe), George Kalukusha (Lilongwe), Daughters Band (Lilongwe), Lulu (Lilongwe), Babu Bébé (Dzaleka), Amahoro Drummers (Dzaleka), Menes (Dzaleka), Asafa (Dzaleka), Rwanda Dance (Dzaleka), Muganda (Surrounding villages), Living Room poets (Lilongwe) and many more to be confirmed. Similarly, artists and creators from the community will be showcased through an art exhibition alongside the performance in a small tent.
PROJECT PURPOSE / NEED
Since Dzaleka was founded a refugee camp in 1994, there has never been a large event organized centered on the needs of refugees as human, social, and expressive beings. Dzaleka needs an event apart from World Refugee Day and Women Day events which are centered on official speeches and a few performances. Dzaleka needs a big event that can bring joy, hope, allow people to reduce the trauma and forget about persecution that leads people to flee their countries to become refugees. Refugees at Dzaleka a need for an avenue to enjoy artistic expression, experience emotional space from their life difficulties, and foster pride as local and Malawian national artists celebrate peace among a population of people who have been forced to flee. Dzaleka needs an avenue to promote its strengths and bring its voice to Malawi.
While Malawi has ratified the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, it holds nine reservations to this convention. Specifically, this means that refugees do not have the right to employment, the right to property, or the freedom of movement. This greatly isolates refugees, limits their financial capacity, and restricts their ability to access cultural events available to Malawians and expatriates.
Tumaini Festival will meet all these needs, while also benefitting the host community as we all stand, sing, and dance together for peace.
PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Tumaini Festival aims to promote Dzaleka talents and cultures to Malawians and expats living in Malawi, to promote Dzaleka it self as a place of unity, peace, coexistence and harmony among refugees and Malawian populations.
Dzaleka is a multicultural place where people from different 10 countries live together with different ways of doing things; Tumaini Festival will give to everyone a chance to discover what other countries can do without paying any money for a better understanding.
TRANSPORT
For those who do not know where Dzaleka is, we will organize public transport for them to come, but the festival is free entrance.
[Directions: Follow the M1 north from Lilongwe. Pass the airport, and pass Lingadzi town. Turn right towards Dowa / Dowa Teachers College. Dzaleka is approximately 15 minutes down the paved road]