IUEA Cultural Gala: African Students Showcase Heritage with Food, Music, and Traditions

Students at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) recently held their annual cultural gala, transforming the campus into a celebration of African diversity. Attendees savored dishes from across the continent, including South Sudanese pasta, Eritrean injera paired with spicy stews like chicken wat and beef with eggplants, and Ugandan specialties such as Karamojong kwete from fermented maize and nyakuring beef cooked in ghee.

Benjamin Libo, a South Sudanese computer science student raised in Khartoum and Juba, relished the nostalgic flavors despite trying Sudanese pasta first. He shared a plate of tangy, fermented teff injera with peers from DR Congo, Eritrea, and South Sudan, emphasizing the hands-only eating tradition to show respect. DR Congo’s Deborah Kobe praised its taste over restaurant versions, while Eritrean civil engineering student Kevin Yousef highlighted authentic drinks like fermented mess and strong coffee.

The Ugandan tent featured organic regional foods from central, western, and Karamoja areas, with software engineering student Joan Valeria Adome in traditional attire demonstrating ngikawuo from sorghum and balanite seeds, plus fermented milk ngakibuk. She rated Nigerian jollof rice and zobo drink an 8/10 after her first taste. Somali ambula variations mixed rice with beans or corn, ideal for supper, as shared by student Ilhan Mohammed. Sudanese dates offered a unique tamarind-like flavor.

Beyond food, the event included national anthems from 12 countries, with highlights like the short Sudanese one, Nigerian double rendition, and Liberian-Gambian collaboration. Traditional dances, drumming, and a Sudanese Jertik wedding demo with henna, gold, and candles drew cheering crowds. Eritrean Students Association president Semira Beraki stressed the importance of showcasing their culture in Uganda.

Kevin Yousef detailed Eritrea’s flag symbolism: green for agricultural growth, blue for marine development, red for 30 years of independence struggle (1961-1991), and yellow wreaths representing peace, unity, nine ethnic groups, and natural resources.

The gala fostered joy and cultural exchange among hundreds of students. Source: Daily Monitor