The Tumaini Festival takes place from today to 2 November at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa, organisers have said.
Founded in 2014 by Tumaini Letu Organisation, the festival is a cultural event which uses entertainment, arts and culture to promote creativity and intercultural harmony between refugees and the community.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday at Kweza Art Hub in Lilongwe, festival manager Tammy Mbendera said everything is ready for the ocassion which clocks 10 years.
“This year, we are also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the festival and we are excited about the activities lineup,” she said. Mbendera underscored the impact the festival continues to make in the lives of artists and residence of the camp.
“The festival has turned into opportunities to people in the camp. We have seen an increase in involvement of arts and culture activities in term of collaborations between local artists and those at the camp,” she added.
Mbendera revealed that musicians Hyphen and Lulu will headline local artists while international headliners will be announced soon. South Africa’s Mtunya is expected to perform at the event.
Head of programmes at Tumaini Letu, Bryce Chawiya, said the organisation aims to foster socio-economic development of refugees at the camp.
“Over the years, we have had 180 000 people patronising the event while 20 international artists have performed. It has also helped us gain recognition across borders. But it has been impactful on the refugees at the camp creatively and as an economic activity,” he said.
The three-day event will include music, theatre, poetry, movies and traditional dances.
