The sixth edition of the annual Tumaini Festival was held from Friday to Saturday at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa.
Speaking with Malawi24, Tumaini Festival Founder Menes La Plume said the festival is growing every year since every event comes with new elements which are added to the festival and to make it vibrant.
La Plume added that the festival has also been successful due to the foreign people and partners that have been attending and supporting them through buying merchandises such as shoes and clothes which people sell during the festival.
“Tumaini Festival has made us to be connected and have access to foreign partners. On part of entertainment, we have been inviting musicians from outside the country like this year we invited artists from Mozambique, DRC and other artists from this country,” he explained.
He added that despite failing to meet their target for the festival through fundraising, they have managed to make the event happen.
La Plume then thanked partners such as Plan Malawi International, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Germany Embassy, and Irish Embassy for making it happen.
In his remarks, Operations Manager in the Office of the Commission Affairs Refugees in the Ministry of Homeland and Security Samuel Duncan Malowa said the event has been promoting the peaceful, harmonious and coexistence between Malawians and foreign nationals.
Malowa added that the festival has as well given people space people to learn and acquire skills from another through networking which is a fruit of Tumaini Festival.
This year’s event was spiced up by drama and dances and performances by musicians such as Patience Namadingo Princess Chitsulo, Iara Lee (USA), Radioactive Blog (South Africa), Sufficient, Soul Raiders Band.
Tumaini, a group formed by refugees who lives in Dzaleka, organises a festival annually at Dzaleka camp.
