MUSEUM ACTIVITIES
MUSEUM GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY
On
31 January 2008, the Abasuba community and distinguished guests
witnessed
the historic ground-breaking ceremony for the Abasuba
Community Peace
Museum. Among the guests included Representatives of the Provincial
Government and local Administration, Safaricom Foundation
Officer
(Mildred Otsieno), members of TARA's international Executive Board, the
Abasuba Council of Elders, workshop participants and facilitators, the
Museum board members and community members.
This
colourful ceremony
was characterised by song and dance, as well as a reinactment of an
Abasuba 'blessing ceremony', traditionally done before the construction
of a home. The architect for the project, Philip Okello of Urban Design
Associates (Nairobi) presented the museum drawings and unveiled a model
of the new museum.
TARA
Chairman, David Coulson, laid the
foundation stone. Alongside the stone was buried a 'Peace Pot', blessed
by the Dalai Lama, which was presented by TARA Board member, Alec
Campbell of Botswana.
COMMUNITY ENGAGERS WORKSHOP
TARA,
together with the
Abasuba Community Peace Museum, organised a community workshop from
28-30 January, 2008 on Mfangano island, in Suba District. This
was the
first of four workshops to be held for the Tourism Trust Fund (TTF)
funded project "Promotion of Rock Art Tourism in Kenya".
The
overall objective of the workshop was to create awareness on the
heritage of the Abasuba among selected 'engagers', who are community
representatives from the various divisions within Suba district.
This
was a forum for both facilitators and participants to learn, compare
and share experiences hence the concept of 'engaging', and not training
as is standard in such workshops. Twenty participants from Mfangano,
Gwasi, Rusinga, and Kaksingri Divisions, as well as three community
representatives from Kakapel (western Kenya) attended the workshop.
Also participating was Jack Obonyo, Founding Curator of the Abasuba
Museum. Facilitators included:
- Mwadime Wazwa, Assistant Director, Regional Museums, Sites
and Monuments (Western region), National Museums of Kenya
- Terry Little, TARA Chief Operations Officer
- Gladys Nyasuna-Wanga, TARA Programme Manager
- Gloria Borona, TARA Project Officer
- Lorna Abungu, Museum/cultural heritage consultant, Okello
Abungu Heritage Consultants
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2008 TARA