Primary and secondary school children across Barbados will celebrate their African heritage with various activities to mark African Awareness Month 2019.
The Erdiston Nursery School, Pine Road, St. Michael, will kick off its celebrations with an African Awareness Week from Monday, February 25, to Thursday, February 28. The highlight of the week will be an African Dress and Cultural Appreciation Day on February 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Christ Church Foundation School, Church Hill, Christ Church, will pay tribute to African fashion and hairstyles during a competition on Friday, March 1, in the school’s auditorium at 11:30 a.m. Teachers there will also wear African garb every Friday during African Awareness Month.
Additionally, Bay Primary School, Bayville, St. Michael, will stage a concert entitled: Africa Meets Barbados on Friday, March 1, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Pupils will make presentations on African nations Sierra Leone and Ghana. This will be followed by a pageant in the afternoon at 1:00 p.m., where children will model their African wear.
There will also be a food demonstration to show the correlation between local foods and some African delicacies.
Harrison College, Crumpton Street, St. Michael, will be marking the month with Africa Week at HC themed Powerful Roots: Remarkable Achievements, from Monday, February 25 to Friday, March 1.
Prior to the start of the week, students will be treated to a multimedia presentation entitled Africa in Barbados – In and Around Us, by Historian, Trevor Marshall, in the school’s hall on Tuesday, February 19, beginning at 9:10 a.m.
Africa Week at HC will start with an art exhibition depicting African themes and topics on February 25, in the school’s media room. This will be followed by an African Fashion Show on Tuesday, February 26, in the school’s hall at noon.
There will also be a ‘Drive-by’ Poetry session on Thursday, February 28, at noon, which will feature original African-themed poems by students.
The activities will culminate with a dress day and concert on Friday, March 1, starting at 1:00 p.m.
Over at St. Joseph Primary School, Horse Hill, St. Joseph, students will parade through nearby districts in their African wear on Thursday, February 28, beginning at 9:15 a.m.
Additionally, a number of primary schools will take part in the annual Primary Schools’ African Awareness Pageant this Saturday, February 16, at the St. Leonard’s Boys’ School, Richmond Gap, St. Michael, from 4:00 p.m.