The Africans and African-Europeans’ Association ry (AFAES ry) runs workshops for the Finnish youth with the aim of teaching and sharing African cultures, norms and traditions given the fact that Finland is increasingly becoming a melting pot of diverse and rich cultures and origins. The youth will be given a chance to acquire a unique learning experience that increases their understanding of African people, their cultures, norms and traditions considering the fact that these workshops equally encourage them to develop inter-cultural communication, which is an important aspect in the growing needs of the “global village”, besides providing them the opportunity of positively facing and becoming aware of the prevailing cultural diversity.

Pupils pose with their self made cowry shell bracelets

Below are various FATIWA’s workshops that we hope to conduct:

 

African Music, Dance and Drama

This comprises the various captivating African festive-songs, poetry, serenades, lullabies, chants, drums, beats, rhythms, choreographies, festive-dances, productions, revues, theatricals among so many other items.

 

African instruments

Learning and playing the various African musical instruments that include the traditional drums, pipes and string-instruments.

 

Culture

This entails learning about the ways of lives of the similar yet differing traditions and norms of the many tribes in the African continent. This includes preparing of traditional African dishes, fabric weaving, hair braiding, craft making – to mention but a few.

 

Literature

This includes African parables, poetry, prose, adages and lyrics.

 

  

The workshops can be easily integrated into the normal school curriculum plus pupils and students’ avocations. They have a huge impact because there’s no better way to reach out to the youth than through entertaining. Yet educational schemes that provide a favorable atmosphere of openness and closeness, hence understanding, appreciating and respecting each other more.

Most of the African instructors from countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana, and Zambia have been and are glad to involve themselves in similar workshops organized for or by organizations and institutes such as Caisa International Cultural Centre and Kassandra ry among others.