TEKWA CULTURAL ENTERPRISES VISITED THE 7th KALACHA CULTURAL FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, December 14th to 16th 2018
Together with some friends, TEKWA drove up North to Marsabit and then down to Kalacha, a small, isolated oasis at the border to the Chalbi, which is the largest salt desert in East Africa. Unfortunately we could not pass through this unique, snow-white place due to previous rains which had transformed the terrain into a mud pit.
The drive on a rough, stony track took longer than expected due to the many stops in order to shoot pictures of slowly passing, captivating camel caravans and of the beautiful, proud and extremely friendly Gabbra nomads.
Our final goal was the 7th Kalacha Cultural Food and Music Festival, which brings together the 14 ethnic groups living in Marsabit County, some groups even joining in from Isiolo County. The event is organized by Kivulini Trust, a local NGO, for the promotion of pastoralism.
This festival brings together pastoralists, fisher folk, hunter-gatherers, metal artisans, agricultural communities, local schools and women groups among others as far as from Southern Ethiopia, “to reconnect, share and celebrate their cultural and natural heritage, to promote biocultural diversity, social harmony for sustainable development.” The event offers also a platform to showcase the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the many groups, to interact with each other and to exchange experiences.
The participating groups were the Borana, Burji, Dassanach, El Molo, Gabbra, Konso, Meru, Rendille, Samburu, Sakuye, Somali, and Turkana among others.
The event was a purely local affair with only TEKWA and its small group of 5 people as outsiders. But soonest we were integrated into the fun, were clumsily participating in unknown dance movements and were filmed and photographed by a beautifully dressed Borana woman or a Turkana man, while we, the tourists, could not get enough of taking pictures of and filming this extraordinary, wild and colourful event full of positive vibes.
And as the goat, whose meat we ate in a small, improvised joint where we became regulars, was slaughter only a few hours ago, we enjoyed the most delicious and juicy nyama choma – and the goat liver had 5-star quality.
Next year in December TEKWA will organize an 8-day tour to the 8th Kalacha Cultural Festival, 2019. If interested, please, get in touch and reserve a provisional seat.
We will also do an 8-day tour to the LAKE TURKANA CULTURAL FESTIVAL, which will take place from April 18 to 20, 2019 in LOIYANGALANI.
Again, get in touch and we will keep you informed and reserve a provisional seat for you.
TEKWA CULTURAL ENTERPRISES WISHES ALL ITS READERS A
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
FOR RATES AND ANY FURTHER INFORMATION
Call: +254715806620 | +254733822754
E-Mail: info@tekwa.co.ke
