GALESBURG — The metropolis of Galesburg will hold its pretty first Lipanda Day, a celebration centered on Congolese “culture and integration,” on Saturday, July 2.
The party will consider place from 2-6 p.m. in Park Plaza and attribute Congolese tunes, foodstuff and shopping.
Gogo Kupa, who is organizing the occasion with her spouse, Yannick Kapita, claimed the objective of the pageant is to introduce the community neighborhood to Congolese tradition and hook up Congolese people who are dwelling in Galesburg, Moline and Monmouth with methods to superior combine into the regional community.
“It’s time for the Congolese to combine and it is time for the American community to know about the Congolese lifestyle,” Kupa said. “Now we can begin operating with each other so we can acquire a mixed group, which is what the most important strategy of this event is.”
Kupa, who labored in finance when she lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated she was influenced to organize the function when just after transferring to Galesburg a few several years back, she utilized to operate for several banking companies in the space, but was struggling to get termed again.
It wasn’t until right after she took a professional expertise class at Carl Sandburg Faculty that Kupa acquired she experienced been distributing her resume by French rules and not American tips.
Now that Kupa has opened her personal business with her partner — Gyann Event setting up — and figured out English via classes with the Regional Place of work of Education and learning, Kupa explained that several Congolese folks have asked her how they can master English, get job coaching or open their have business as she has.
Kupa stated that language is a main barrier stopping quite a few Congolese people from acquiring additional informed or greater work as she understands a selection of folks who have immigrated to the Galesburg spot 10-15 many years back and however only converse French.
“People enjoy to stay listed here due to the fact it is safe and sound. That is the most crucial matter, particularly when you are a minority, is to be a spot where by you are safe and sound exactly where your household is risk-free,” Kupa mentioned. “But just after protection there is residing. For dwelling we need to have to have a fantastic work or you have to have to have your business. But regretably folks do not have the work they want mainly because of the language barrier.”
Saturday’s party will characteristic conventional audio by Nkumu Katalay, a Congolese musician who is touring from New York, and cost-free Congolese dishes this sort of as fufu. Kupa stated that she expects at minimum 100 folks to show up at the occasion which is also getting position on the 62nd anniversary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s anniversary of independence.
Lipanda interprets to independence in the Congolese language of Lingala.
“If any person attends the party and now is aware that they can discover English, is aware that they can open up a business legally, by opening a business listed here that implies there is a position for people dwelling in this article. So what I am expecting is for men and women to open their thoughts and know that we can do anything.”
This write-up at first appeared on Galesburg Sign-up-Mail: Galesburg IL will focus on Congolese culture, integration at function