The Rwandan Community in Perth Australia on Saturday August 8 came together to celebrate the Umuganura day along with the wider African and Australian community.

With the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions being eased in Western Australia, the event was attended by over 150 people while observing social distancing and other Covid-19 prevention measures.

The event was attended by the Australian community, West Australian Police Force and the Organization of African Community in WA (OAC-WA).

The celebrations featured Rwandan elders showcasing the tradition of umuganura through various presentations on Rwandan arts and culture, local food, harvest and the spirit of sharing.

In addition, Rwandan youth, through a dance troupe ‘Indatwa’, performed traditional Rwandan dances, poems depicting their historic culture and values.

The occasion had Mark Irwin the mayor of the City of Stirling as the guest of honour. In his speech, he spoke about celebrating multiculturalism in Australia, and thanked the Rwandan community for sharing the tradition of Umuganura with the wider Australian community.

Claude Manzi, the President of RCA-Perth thanked all the attendees and spoke about how Umuganura is one of the many celebrations that bring unity and self-reliance to the global Rwandan community.

Celebrated every year on the first Friday of August, Umuganura is referred to as the country’s version of thanksgiving.

Locally, this year’s version was also marked amid social distancing measures where family members living together were encouraged to celebrate without having to host visitors.

Among the things done on Umuganura is sharing what people have achieved and assess their current challenges while collectively planning for the future.