5 Year Celebration, "Their Life in Their Hands"

Our 5 year Anniversary Celebration, October 15, saw an exciting gathering of diverse people, talented musicians and dancers and enthusiastic Kenyans and Canadians who were willing to share their rich experiences in visiting Village of Love.

We were especially thrilled to be graced by the presence of the Kenyan High Commisioner, H.E. John Lanyasunya, who took time out of a very busy schedule to be with us. In his opening remarks, His Excellency noted how unusual it is for two countries to be brought together, not at government level, but person to person.

Indeed this has been an aspect of our involvement with Village of Love that has been most enriching: gaining insight into a different way of thinking and approach to life.

Peace in the world could surely be advanced through more intercultural learning!

We were privileged to have two accomplished performing groups help us celebrate by sharing their own cultural traditions through music and dance. 

The Heritage Singers Canada gave an impassioned performance, ranging from Caribbean market ditties to songs expressing the agony of slavery, the longing for redemption and the exuberance of freedom.

This longing for a world that is free is particularly poignant today!

Twamsifueli’s mission is to revive and share their cultural heritage of dance as an expression of joy, healing and welcome, and to pass this on to the next generation, evidenced by quite small children being involved in their troupe.

This was their first performance in 3 years, following the death of a beloved troupe member, Millicent Agola Owala. The invitation to dance again had woken them up, their leader, Levina, told us. It was touching that their first dance number was the Kenyan song “Taaai (We are pressing on).”

After the show we were led dancing into the market place! The personal interaction with Kenyans and Canadians as we visited the simulated market stalls, was informative and enriching.

One attendee commented that the evening had given her insight into another culture. This is what the Global Village of Love is about. We couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome!