AFROVIBES THE SPIRIT OF AFRIKA

The Afrovibes The Spirit of Afrika event, hosted by the Office of Global Affairs was organized to bolster the relationship between the African students, other foreign students and the local student community and staff and faculty populace at Tzu Chi University. The event was held on May 14th, 2025 at the Futian Building public dining area from 18:30 to 20:30. The event was attended by over 100 attendees, a combination of international and local students, faculty and staff. Through the event, African students were able to introduce their countries, culture and the beauty of Africa to the university community.

After a welcome from the student hosts, the Associate Dean of the Office of Global Affairs, Dr. Liang-Yin Hsu delivered the opening speech. This was followed by a powerpoint presentation introducing the art, culture, food and lifestyle of six different African countries, namely: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe. Individuals from these six countries represented their countries.

The event was very festive as the attendees were excited to learn about African countries, immersing themselves in the ambiance and music. The event included a hair braiding station, where those interested could have a single braid done in their hair, choosing from the colors green, white, red and yellow, all vibrant colors that have a place in the flags of the participating African countries. This station was well loved as well into the event, even till the end, attendees still stopped by to get braids done.

Long queues spilled around the event hall when the announcement was made that it was food time. With a variety of African food from different countries, attendees definitely had their fill on the delicacies that originate from Africa. There was a variety of dishes prepared by the Africans, from Nigerian Jollof rice, to South African Rooibos tea, to Malawain Chigumu, to Mozambican Mayonnaise, to Lesotho Papa, to Zimbabwean Flitters, and many more!

The highlights of the event were the fashion show where the African students got to display their African attires and hairstyles, as well as share their origins and the history entwined in them, showing the richness and diversity of Africa. The organized dance presentation, and the group dance were also enjoyable and loved parts of the event, which reflected the beauty of music in Africa.

The bead making activity concluded the event, during which attendees received beads to make jewelry of their choosing. The aim of this activity was to show how beadmaking and jewelry is also a part of African culture. Attendees who made their bead jewelry got to leave with them.

This event was a cross cultural exchange that brought Africa to Taiwan from across the ocean. Students, faculty and staff alike had a wholesome experience learning about African culture, and the different countries in Africa. It was a fun and learning experience for all attendees, African and non-African.(文/照片：全球事務處)