Location
Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
Synopsis and Position
The archival and preservation of cultural dance and cooking culinary skills came as an idea of Community organization and sustainability. The project aimed at showcasing and preserving a record of cultural heritages among the various community cultures and making them publicly accessible to local and global audiences to learn about their rout and cultures given the rapid cultural gentrifications. The interaction of different cultures has also caused the different cultural practices (both food and performances) to evolve and enrich each other. Preserving such migrated and ‘enriched’ cultural foods and performances mean preserving the diverse intersecting life of refugees, the sources of their resilience, and the history of the camp which is currently undergoing rapid gentrification.
Objectives and Method
The Archival and Preservation of Cultural Dances and Culinary Skills project focuses on preserving the cultural heritage of the people in Kakuma. The Project identified 12 cultural ethnic groups to record their cultural dances and the cooking culinary skills. The recorded cultural performances should be archived and that can be used by the future generation given the rapid cultural gentrification in the camp, it can be used for the reference as well. The cultural exhibition was organized to invite the youths to embrace the diverse cultures in the camp, fostering understanding and became a learning experience for the youths. The cultural exhibition was organized on 16th December, 2023 for the live archival, 349 people attended in persons including the JWL Students and 197 people were watching live on the JWL Facebook page, this was purposed to reach wider audiences.
Workshops and Events
The upcoming project activities should focus on archiving recorded cultural dances and culinary skills at the IF repository, JWL websites, and, if possible, the University of Ghana repository. The project should focus on disseminating the recorded deliverables to a larger audience, as a result, the activities should include podcasting, writing the stories about the specific cultures and creating educational videos that can be widely shared on websites and other social media platforms that does not have the risk on the data.
Activities
One of the special events was the cultural exhibition at the JWL centre in Kakuma on 16th December,2023. However, the next proposed Project phases should focus on the following.
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- Traditional Music instruments
- Diverse Greetings cultures
- Different skin MARKS and initiation traditions
- Traditional clothes, and accessory items
- Traditional/camp conflict resolution methods
TEAM MEMBERS
Nyan-Nyuei Majak Ador
Nyan-Nyuei Majak Ador is a dedicated Global English Facilitator passionate about fostering cross-cultural communication and language proficiency.
My career philosophy revolves around breaking language barriers and creating inclusive learning environments. With a contagious enthusiasm for language and literature, I’m also a teacher and it inspires me to help my students embrace the beauty of effective communication and using eloquent English when communicating.
Currently based in Kakuma, Kenya, I’m pursuing technical courses at Marginal and these courses gave me profound knowledge on critical thinking, communication skills, adaptability invaluable qualities in a diverse and dynamic world, and most importantly, coding skills. Beyond my professional pursuits, I enjoy exploring diverse cookeries, playing basketball, and advocating for cultural exchange through storytelling, and community engagement.
Stephen Peter Kon
Stephen Peter Kon is a JWL Student pursuing BA in General Studies at St. Louis University, He’s passionate in changing his community. During the Pandemic in 2020, Stephen contributed to the community by working as a data collector with the Norwegian Refugee Council. His commitment to education continued, and in 2023, he became a learning facilitator for Global English Language (GEL) with Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL), a position he holds up to the present date teaching the students at the secondary school to improve on the English Language. Stephen is skilled in data collection, coding, and software instalments, furthermore, he’s skilled in facilitation, social media management, and freelancing.
Other Team Members include:
MCDONALD PALAL
JACOUB MOHAMMED ALI
KETH AGUIN MAROL
ROMEO JOSEPH
LUCIAN BADODO
ALINOOR MOHAMED OMAR
AYUEN ISSAC DENG
SAID MOHAMED