Nottingham connected
Community
15
AFRICAN FARM FESTIVAL 2017
CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
By Laura McCartan & Angela Wathoni
On 12th August, Mojatu Foundation held an
African Farm Festival, inviting local communities
to come and experience a day at a farm, while
celebrating Africa with music, dancing and
workshops. As titled, Celebrating Diversity, the
annual event is aimed at bringing people from
different nationalities, cultures, faiths and world
views to share common ground, food, activities
and to celebrate their differences.
Over the past four years, Mojatu Foundation
have used the farm in innovative ways to reach
out and engage communities in a way that has
helped to continue raising awareness of Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM), an issue that is still seen
as a taboo is gradually become easier for affected
communities to talk about.
The summer is known as the “cutting season” in
relation to FGM and this festival was a fantastic
opportunity to pass on important information to
community members. Summer time is believed
to be the time many children are at risk of being
taken out of the country for FGM to be performed
or cutters being brought into the country. Our ‘Clit
warriors’ helped in distributing information and
talking to people who were interested in getting
involved in the campaign and needed support.
The festival also raised awareness of new and
emerging communities, refugees and asylum
seekers needs and brought together local
communities and other immigrants; thereby
improving conversations on issues faced by
refugees and asylum seekers and promoting
positive dialogue to increase community cohesion.
Among other activities, the festival brought
together many different groups living in
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, to celebrate
and showcase African unique cultural arts, music,
and fashion while also giving other communities a
chance to share the stage with them.
Performers included Poets Against Racism, a Syrian
children’s drumming group, ACD Arts and over 10
African musicians from all over the continent. As
well as this, speakers throughout the day talked
about a variety of key topics, from raising awareness
of FGM, to tackling hate crime and extremism. There
were lots of activities to keep families busy, from
goat racing to face painting and a Scavenger Hunt.
The African Farm Day was a great success for
Mojatu Foundation, allowing stalls to showcase
African products, food and groups that work for the
local community. A big thanks to Nottinghamshire
Police, Women’s Aid and all of the other stalls that
came to share information and create dialogues
between different communities. Throughout the
day, competitions such as ‘Best African Dress’,
drumming workshops and sports encouraged
attendees to mix together and celebrate their
diversity, while listening to some incredible local
and international music.
Throughout the day, as well as serving a variety
of African food, children enjoyed rides around
the farm on Farmer David’s tractor, while learning
about the natural environment and where their
food comes from. As well as promoting community
cohesion, the annual farm day promotes healthy
eating, and encourages communities to become
involved in sports. Basketball, football and table
tennis games continued all day, led by a variety of
young attendees.
The Farm Festival also highlights the impact of
FarmEco Community Care, which is a community
benefit society, which has launched an ‘edible
woodland’ project at the farm, and supported
Mojatu in organising the day. Rafiki is another
project based around the farm that grows and
sells white maize at an affordable price to local
people.
We would like to sincerely thank all our partners and
sponsors who made this event a success. Especially
the Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership,
Nottingham City Council, Kenya Nottinghamshire
Welfare Association, Farmeco Community Care Farm,
The Hyson Green Cultural Festival, The Nottingham
Community Cohesion team, The Renewal Trust,
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum,
TunTum, Castle Cavendish, Braai King Delights,
Self Help UK, Phone Credit for Refugees, Basement
Studios, GODIVA Law, Insite Radio, Basement Studio
among others supporters.
The African Farm Festival is an annual event and
will come back in summer 2018. We hope to inspire
more people to come along, meet and exchange
ideas, food and community spirit with new groups
from around Nottingham in a green, clean and
beautiful environment.