Africans In Bermuda Taking Part In End-To-End
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Members of the Africans in Bermuda group are volunteering at the annual Convex End-to-End, serving as marshals and helping to pack goodie bags for participants taking part in the island’s largest fundraiser.
The event includes a full 24.1-mile End-to-End route, the 14-mile Middle-to-End or the three-mile Fun Walk and Cycle on Saturday [May 2].
The group, whose charity arm is known as Jumuiya Ya Afrika, aims to foster and sustain economic, educational, cultural and social ties between Bermuda and Africa.
Priscilla Ogamba, the group’s treasurer from Kenya who has lived in Bermuda for 19 years, said the organisation has been seeking ways to give back to the community.
Priscilla Ogamba and Henry Thomas
The organisation was formed in 2019 following a tragedy involving a member of the community.
“We’re very small and have been trying to partner with other charities so we can give back to the island,” Ms Ogamba told Bernews.
“The End-to-End is such a big event and we’ve been trying to decide how we can contribute.
“Usually, I’m on the side of the road cheering on the walkers. We reached out to find out how we could help.
“It’s a great opportunity to socialise and be part of a big event — it’s important for us. Bermuda has been very good to our community.”
“There was someone in Bermuda who lost his family in the Ethiopia plane crash,” Ms Ogamba said.
“The African community really came together to console him.
“We didn’t realise there were so many Africans on the island, so we thought we’d do something on May 25 to celebrate Africa Day.
“That led to us organising more events and figuring out how we can give back to the community.”
The group represents people from 35 African nations in Bermuda and has a membership of more than 100.
Henry Thomas, the organisation’s chair from Sierra Leone who has lived in Bermuda for 20 years, said they also promote cultural events, including the Africa Day celebrations.
“We encourage as many people as possible to come and celebrate Africa Day [at St John’s Smith’s Bay],” he said. “We have music, games and dance.”
He said one of the group’s aims is to improve understanding of African culture.
“One of our precepts is to educate Bermudians about African culture,” he added. “We want to let people know how diverse Africa is, and how much closer we are to each other than apart.
“We want to forge a link between Bermuda and Africa, especially as so many Bermudians are moving to Africa, particularly Ghana and Kenya.
“We have new people coming to the island almost every week, so we try to be a source of information for them and act as a bridge between Africa and Bermuda.”
Instagram: @africansinbermuda | Facebook: Jumuiya Ya Afrika | Website
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