If you are looking for a remunerative get-together of Kenyans and friends this Saturday week-end, then look no further than Årsta Folketshus where the East is scheduled to meet its Western counterpart in a unique music and dance concert dedicated to a truly altruistic Project started by a beautiful Kenyan lady who wants to do something concrete for her country Kenya.
The “Beryls Hope” is not just hope in the conventional sense. It is a Home for orphaned Kenyan children located in Siaya district and started by non other than our Beryl Otumba, the mother of the uniquely named little girl – Priah Kendell.
On Saturday, 13th October between 16.30 and 2.00, Årstafolketshus at Årsta Torg (buss 168 från Gullmarsplan) will be packed with enticing entertainment of the music and concert type made in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Sweden to help raise Kwachas (cash) which will go towards uplifting the lives of destitute children in Siaya who have found a home at Beryls Hope. It is not an exaggeration to posit that this kind of moxie is rare within members of our community in Sweden.
In other words, Beryls Hope is the latest addition to two other homes set up by Kenyans to help orphans in our rich country, looted and plundered by corrupt and greedy politicians to an extent that private individuals have to intervene “to save the destitute children”.
The Phylis Memorial Home in Kenya being managed by Jacinter Njoroge together with the Anna Lindh Children’s Home set up by our outspoken Pastor Beatrice Kamau are Institutions that sincerely deserve support. Beryl has entered the fray with Beryls Hope and what she needs now is support.
The Beryls Hope extravaganza on Saturday will definitely be a good opportunity to meet the brain-box behind the initiative and to entertain yourself while you know that the proceeds are not going to further inflate some fat cat but to feed children whose only hope could be external input. Is there any other better way of congratulating Beryl than attending this function whose noble intentions are obvious?
The Saturday “Beryls Hope outing” is not just about dance, food, drinks, entertainment, seduction and what have you. Per Karlsson, the Country Program Co-ordinator, Department of Africa at the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) will give a key speech about poverty, Development situations and Human and Children’s rights. Per has been working with SIDA in Kenya for more than five years. He is a well known personality within the Kenya-Stockholm elite. I met him last week at a private function but he never told me that he is one of the key speakers at the Berys Hope beat – no qualms!
Another key speaker slated to set the audience thinking is Simon Mande who works with the International Red Cross and who is in charge of Youth for Human Rights in Sweden. Mande will share the day’s theme on poverty with Per Karlsson.
The talk session will be unique because it will elevate the function from a “fund-raising” party kinda retreat to an intellectual and thought-provoking past time on a Saturday evening – good for a break.
COME WATCH THE YOUNG NYMPHETS FROM RWANDA
One interesting dimension of the Beryls Hope action is that among all political Parties in Sweden, only the Social Democratic Party has not been left behind and Kent Härstdt, an MP, is expected to provoke the audience with a speech based on the theme of the evening.
Beryl must have been working 24/7 to put this event together, given the shortage of time in Sweden. Sometimes I run out of time to bang a titillating story at KSB but do I say?
Once the “Talk-show” is over, you will just have to relax because that is the time when the real action will begin and guess which artists are on the line-up?
FEJM Scenskolan Music Group in Alby has prime time when action begins. You might or might not have come into contact with them but we won’t elaborate. You have to come and see. After FEJM, the prodigious Jambo Traditional Dance Group from Kenya will bounce on stage to give revellers a run for their money.
By the way, entrance for all the stuff will be a paltry 100 kr and that includes exclusive African delicacies where Ugali (or ugalai if you are more advanced) is expected to combine with Nyama choma, Kachumbari and other known components to enable the fun lovers in attendance to catch up with that elusive African menu. Don’t worry if you have some West African friends. We have intelligence that Fufu will be near by.
Apart from Jambo, the “Pearl Traditional Dancers” from Uganda will show how it is done in the land of the Baganda before the audience are “virtually” flown to Rwanda where the “Rwandese Traditional Dancers” will get active on the floor to do their thing.
When it comes to organized “Lady dancing” of the “Traditional type”, Kenyan ladies have been lagging behind for reasons that needs to ne investigated. Are our Kenyan ladies spending more time gossiping on the phone or have they just become too heavy to dance? Are they leaderless or are they into too much “Swallowship” of the Nonini type? It would be interesting to see them shake a boob, at least once in a while. The arena has been very dry.
The Rwandese in Stockholm have a habit of spilling extremely beautiful and young nymphets to shake their rumps on the floor and when Clay last engaged them during his stand-out wedding in August 2005, established Kenyan bachelors were seen consulting sub-rosa, probably thinking that they could have a go at the Madonnas since Rwanda is now part of East Africa. He he he…
Apart from the Rwandese, a dance duo known as “Jazz and Amir Hip-Hop” will try to capture the attention of the audience before giving room to “Mike Wise” a young Rap artist to show what he has been up to lately.
“Solder Productions”, a Reggae and Dancehall group are also on the line-up and if you thought you were done, an African Fashion Show will be unleashed to bring the latest in the African-Stockholm fashion industry.
After all is said and done, people will begin to get down and this is now the delicate part. It will not be another “Wazee Hukumbula Party” where people wriggle to old tunes. The youth have been missing the action and since Beryl will also be celebrating her 30th birthday, nothing can be predicted yet at KSB.
Get ready because the Entertainment bells have been sounded. For further information, send mail to: beryl@beryshope.org or visit the Project’s website at: http://www.berylshope.org. You can also call Beryl at: 0739380144,0736185118.
Okoth Osewe
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