Eritreans in London are gearing to celebrate the largest ever and most colourful Eritrean festival. The excitement is reaching fever pitch. The Festival organisers have been working tirelessly and are now in the process of putting the final touches. Hundreds of volunteers are readying themselves to ensure that the event passes successfully.
The festival is differs from those held in the past in that the many programs and activities are planned with children and family in mind. It of course caters those who enjoy the party atmosphere and guayla. In short, it is a festival by everyone for everyone. The festival is also unique in other respects as it will be held in an open space for the first time.
It is expected that the festival will create a strong sense of community spirit and maintain the strong relationship Eritreans have with their country of origin. It will allow children and family take the centre stage. It will create a platform for entertainment for all Eritreans in general and Children in particular. It is intended to educate Eritrean children about their culture and heritage, thereby creating the opportunity for development of lasting friendship and co-operation. It aims to engage and empower the Eritrean youth and women in the UK as well as reward educational and other exceptional achievements. The festival will create networking opportunities for Eritrean businesses.
Organising a festival at such a scale is a huge undertaking. The organisers had to go through a very steep learning curve to bring everything together. Much time and effort was required to find an ideal festival venue and to respond to concerns by organisers and participants. A number of options were laid out and eventually Lee Valley Park was selected for the venue.
The Festival programme includes entertainment throughout the day, exhibition, fashion show, talent show, children's activities, heritage and cultural shows, recognition of exceptional achievement, graduation ceremony, drama, comedy, women and youth forums, sport, Guayla, etc. Many programmes will run in parallel and a real treat awaits those who will be attending. Most programmes will be held in large tents named as Hade Libi, Bahti Meskerem, Adi Begio, Egri Mekel and Golgol Naro.
Haben Araya
