Flavours of Africa March 2015
by Sarah Onyango
On Friday, March 13, 2015, the East African Students’ Association of Carleton (EASAC) teamed up with Carleton’s READ Initiative (Research, Education, Accessibility and Design) and CUSA’s Carleton Disability Awareness Centre (CDAC) to present the annual “Flavours of the East” gala at the
Marriott Hotel, in downtown Ottawa. As in the past, this year’s event showcased culture, music, dance, and food from East Africa, and the funds raised were donated to CanUgan, a Canadian NGO bringing accessibility and economic independence to persons with disabilities in the Kasese District of Uganda. Founded in late 2010, CanUganwww.canugan.org is a registered Canadian charity that provides assistive devices to people with disabilities in Uganda. Working with a disability organization in Kasese District of Uganda, CanUgan has provided hand-pedalled tricycles, white canes, crutches and other devices to close to 500 Ugandans with disabilities. Among the highlights of the gala were folk dances by Rwandan and South Sudanese students as well as a Burundian drumming ensemble. One of EASAC’s founders, Ms. Denise Siele, also gave an inspiring speech congratulating the association’s executive and members for keeping it going over the last 15 years.
