The first edition of the Fafali African Modelling, Fashion, & Art Night (FAMFAN) was held on Sunday, March 5, 2023, from 4 pm -6 pm at the Jerremite International School to commemorate Ghana’s 66th Independence Day celebration.
The event which was widely regarded as a successful one was to celebrate Ghana’s cultural heritage, as the event featured various activities that showcased the country’s rich traditions and customs.
There were about 200 individuals present on the day to watch and participate in the activities on the day. Preparations on the day began from 1 pm till the actual start of the event. The Drum, Dance & Dream team, Happy Art Club, and models from the various programs all showed up on time to begin preparations.
In an interaction with the CEO of the Fafali Organization, Senyo Sosu, who saw to the execution of the event on the day, he mentioned how everything went and how excited he is to see these children enjoy the time of their lives by showcasing their potentials on such a big platform.
“This was one of the smoothest events we have had and I am grateful to all my staff and volunteers for the work they have done by showing up 3hrs earlier to get everything set up for the main event. I also want to congratulate every child that participated as well as showed up as an audience to this event (FAMFAN) and we hope this is just a stepping stone for whatever it is they want to achieve,” Mr. Sosu said. He also added that the “Fafali Organization is always ready to empower people through our various projects, hence, the reason we could not turn down the opportunity to put up an event that will portray our history as a people.”
As indicated in the pre-event article, there were key activities and objectives on display during FAMFAN.
The fashion show: which was one of the main attractions, featured young boys and girls displaying their collections on the runway, blending traditional prints with modern designs. The children showed their poise and elegance as they walked down the runway, displaying their unique fashion sense.
The Art Display: Another exciting aspect of the event was the art display, which featured face painting by children in our organization’s art program. The children’s paintings were impressive, and they showcased their art skills. They painted the majority of the audience as well as the performers. There were different designs to choose from as some individuals opted for movie-character designs like the Joker, Spiderman, etc.
Poetry recitals: The poetry recitals were another highlight of the event, as four children in our programs recited poems and talked about the different colors of the Ghanaian flag and what they represented. The children demonstrated their oratory skills and left the audience in awe.
Cultural display: The cultural display was also a crowd-pleaser, as the event showcased traditional music and costumes from different parts of Ghana. The displays provided a unique opportunity for all present to experience the diverse Ghanaian cultures firsthand. There was a “Jama” session which got the audience involved on the dance floor. The amazing thing is the fact that it was an all-girls cultural troupe.
The objective for FAMFAN as outlined throughout has always been to build a collaborative effort between children in our different programs. As the organization aimed to foster a sense of togetherness among the children in our various programs, the event provided the children with an opportunity to make new friends, interact with each other, and build lasting connections. And most importantly work together as a team to make FAMFAN a success.
Felicia Tede of Licia’s Wardrobe expressed her satisfaction with the success of the event and hopes to make FAMFAN an annual event to promote community revitalization and the Ghanaian cultural heritage.
“It was a pleasure to see these children put on such a show at short notice. The turnout was great and everything went as planned and on time,” Felicia said. She also added, “I am grateful to the Fafali Organization for accepting to collaborate with us to make this a success and hopefully we can get this event (FAMFAN) running for years to come.”
Participants and the audience on the day also expressed their general impressions on how events unfolded at FAMFAN.
“Walking down the runway was one of the best experiences of my life. I am part of the girls’ football team and no one has seen me model before so you could see the cheers when I had to come on stage and I was so excited,” said Zeinabu, a model on the day.
Candra Evadzi, a drummer from the Drum, Dance & Dream project was also filled with excitement as she said “playing the different traditional drums as well as the music was the moment for my girls and me, we made sure to give our best for FAMFAN and we were happy to see the audience run to the dance floor to dance in excitement.”
Maxwell Folly from the Happy Art Club shared with us how excited her team and she are for the collaborative effort to chalk this success, “our coordinators ensured we were on time to produce designs for as many people as possible and as a new project, we are happy to have gotten this opportunity to show what we can do with constant practice.”
It does not go without notice that children in our photography and videography class were behind the cameras making sure every angle of the event was covered under the guidance of their tutor, Joshua Abalo.
FAMFAN was an excellent opportunity to showcase Ghana’s cultural diversity, and it provided a platform for young children to display their talents and skills. The event was a huge success, and it highlighted the organization’s commitment to empowering young underserved children in our community.
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