Dzaleka in cultural, fashion exhibition
Refugees from Dzaleka Camp in Dowa have organised a cultural and fashion exhibition as one way of promoting diversity and creativity among refugees and Malawians.
The event which will take place from Friday to Sunday at Sunbird Capital’s Mulanje Hall in Lilongwe has attracted 17 designers and 32 models from over 15 countries including Malawi.
The exhibition is a brainchild of Alain Bitijula ,who is a director and co-founder of Dzaleka Youth Congress, a local organisation which operates within the refugee camp with a focus on promoting social and economic empowerment among the youth.
Dzaleka Youth Congress secretary Boniface Balenga in an interview said the fashion show will seek to bring out the richness that lies in cultural values that are often played down, such as dressing and the stories they tell.
“We are trying to bring together various components that clearly show that though we are from different backgrounds, we still share some elements which are common. The best way we wanted to show this is through the power of art in our designs,” he said.
Banenga said so far models and designers from Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Japan have confirmed their participation at what will be the first fashion show of its kind.
One of the designers to showcase at the event is Roy View Banda who just won the UMP Designer of the Year Award.
He said: “I will showcase at the event because I want to promote cultural dressing while adding some styles to it. Mostly I will focus on male designs.”
