TAN – The Afro News

African Winter Cultural Celebration 2010 community, culture, and diversity some of the women at the Celebration

By Jennifer Wesman  : It is the season to celebrate community, culture, and diversity. On 18 December 2010, the 4th annual African Winter Cultural Celebration took place at Edmonds Community School in Burnaby. Read the full story

African Cultural Winter Celebration, hosted by REACH Multicultural Family Center (MFC)

By Jenny Francis The Afro News Burnaby

An important community event took place at Eastburn Community Centre in Burnaby on 12 December 2009. The 3rd annual African Cultural Winter Celebration, hosted by REACH Multicultural Family Center (MFC) brought together approximately two hundred people from all over the world. Following prayers in Arabic and English, guests enjoyed a delicious halal meal prepared by Iraqi and African women, musical entertainment by the Togolese Ensemble and Zion’s Children of God (from Congo), and inspired storytelling by Jean-Pierre Makosso. Welcoming speeches were offered by guests of honour including NDP MP Peter Julian; Burnaby City Counsellors Sav Dhaliwal and Paul McDonell; Ros Salvador, a lawyer with the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre; and Lina Fabiano, interim Executive Director of REACH Community Health Centre. After the performances, a crowd of adults and children hit the dance floor, shaking it to the sound of DJ beats. At the end of the night, laundry baskets filled with donated gifts were distributed to sixty-five families and individuals. Guests and organisers expressed their appreciation for the generosity of the donors (local businesses and individuals) who contributed items to the baskets.

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Special to The Afro News – Vancouver

Aug 30 La Palabre radio show in studio panelists John Nuraney, MLA Burnaby-Willingdon Patience Nzamakunda Deidre Heim Honore Gbedze (DJ KMG) Jenipher Wasike, REACH Multicultural Family Services Jenny Francis MA student at UBC Bitisho Bembeleza

On August 30, 2008, a public radio forum sponsored by The Afro News and La Palabre Radio Program aired live on the topic of “Settlement Issues of African Immigrants & Refugees. The panel discussion and call in segment explored the theme of “How can we make Vancouver a better place to live?” The show was hosted and sponsored by La Palabre’s director and Afro News Publisher, Honore Gbedze. The show runs weekly on Saturdays in the 11:00 a.m to noon time slot on 96.1 FM in Vancouver. It offers local and international listeners news, interviews, special features and music of interest to Afric peoples, their co-workers and friends round the globe. The special call in show featured guest panelists: Dr. Charles Quist-Adade, Professor of Sociology and Geography at Kwantlen and UBC (phone in), John Nuraney, MLA Burnaby-Willingdon, Jenipher Wasike, REACH Multicultural Family Services, Patience Nzamakunda, a Vancouver refugee claimant, Bitisho Bembeleza, a government assisted refugee and Jenny Francis, MA student at UBC, author of forthcoming HRSDC report: African Immigrants/Refugees’ Experiences of Housing & Homelessness in Greater Vancouver.

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