Rwandan children in Germany hold summer camp week

The Rwandan Diaspora in Germany last week held the third summer camp for Rwandan children. The event, according to organisers, offered an opportunity for the children outside their country to connect with their Rwandan culture.From August 4 to 11, children aged between three and 16 participated in dancing, drumming and other cultural activities, traditional pottery and engaged in various sports in the summer camp organised by the Association of the Rwandan Diaspora in Germany. There were 30 participants. “Special emphasis was put on learning Kinyarwanda – a desire previously expressed by many of the children and parents. Coming from all parts of Germany, the participating children were Rwandans or “half-Rwandans” but also non-Rwandan friends who wanted to learn more about Rwanda,” reads part of a statement from the organisers.ShowcaseThe week, which participants spent in a modern youth hostel in Speyer, culminated in an evening event to showcase what they had learned to an audience of parents, family members and friends. Simone Tuyisabe, 16, opened the evening by playing the national anthem on her clarinet. This was followed by a short skit in Kinyarwanda, drumming, singing and dancing performed by the children. The chairperson of the Association of the Rwandan Diaspora in Germany, Providence Tuyisabe, thanked the parents and the embassy for their support and expressed the association’s desire to make it an annual event. Ambassador Christine Nkulikiyinka, speaking as mother of one of the participating children, expressed her gratitude and praise for the initiative which allows children to get involved with their culture. She thanked the team of adults who sacrificed their time and took care of the children for the whole week. Such an activity, she underlined, is particularly important as it strengthens the children’s identity so that they feel Rwandan.

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Rwandan children in Germany hold summer camp week