African World Heritage Day – Celebrating Our Roots
Did you know there’s a special day just for celebrating Africa’s amazing culture, history, and treasures? It’s called African World Heritage Day, and we celebrate it every year on May 5th.
This special day was started by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) to honor the rich and diverse cultures of Africa. So May 5th is a reminder to protect and celebrate what makes Africa so special.
Why is African Heritage Important to us?
- It connects us to our roots, offering insights into where we come from and the values our ancestors upheld.
- It teaches us resilience, creativity, and community values through traditions like dances, Languages, stories and customs passed down through generations.
- It fosters respect among diverse cultures and highlights the shared humanity that links us all.
Here are a few fun and meaningful tips to help our kids learn and celebrate African heritage:
- Story Time with African Folktales:
Introduce kids to traditional African stories and folktales. These stories are rich with morals, wit, and cultural wisdom, plus they’re super entertaining.
- Celebrate with Music and Dance:
Let the kids explore different African musical instruments, rhythms, and dances. They can try learning moves from popular dances across the continent or traditional drumming patterns.
- Get Creative with Art and Crafts:
Kids can try making masks, painting African symbols, building huts with clay or using beads and fabric to create colorful patterns.
- Cook African Dishes Together:
Bring heritage into the kitchen by preparing simple African meals together. Kids will enjoy learning through taste.
- Through reading african literature:
Let them read books on influential African figures ,past and present like Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta, Samia Suluu Hassan, Chinua Achebe among others.
- Celebrate Language Diversity:
Teach and encourage kids to learn African languages such as mother languages an Swahili.
Africa’s heritage is more than just history, it is our identity, our pride, and our strength. Today, we celebrate this legacy by protecting the wisdom, artistry, and stories that define who we are.
Rose Makena