Masslive
Saturday July 29, 2017
GRANBY - A celebration of Somali Bantu culture and traditions is scheduled to be held in Granby Saturday.
The event has been organized by the Somali Bantu Community Organization of Springfield, a newly formed non-profit dedicated to providing opportunities to the Springfield area refugee community.
The event will be held at the Red Fire Farm in Granby--a local farm where a number of local Somali refugees are currently employed.
Sarah Voiland, the owner of Red Fire Farm, said that in the wake of the Trump administration's travel ban announced in January, farm staff decided to organize an event celebrating refugees as "an enriching part of a diverse society."
"While there is a lack of government support for refugees, we think it is very important to support our local community of Somali refugees in Springfield," Voiland said. "We would love for people to get to know the Somali folks the way we know them from working together on the farm," she said.
The celebration will feature live Somali music, and dances in traditional dress, said Voiland.
Additionally, Saturday's event promises to engage visitors with a variety of activities, including:
* Samples of various traditional Somali foods
* A henna station to get impermanent henna tattoos
* Traditional clothing, modern clothing, and Somali home decor for sale
* Somali games to play and learn
The Somali Bantu Community Organization will be collecting donations during Saturday's event, the contributions of which will go towards funding their various initiatives.