OLA :: Africa Day 2017

Africa Day 2017

Africa Day commemorates the anniversary of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Srs. Patience and Majella (both OLA) with Sr. Susan (right) of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa attending the Africa Day event in Dublin on May 21st, 2017.

Thursday 25th May 2017 marks the 54th anniversary of the signing of an agreement which led to the beginning of the OAU. The OAU was replaced by the African Union (AU) in 2002. Events are taking place across the world to mark African unity and celebrate the diverse cultures on the continent. In Ireland, an Africa Day celebration took place at the Farmleigh Estate in Dublin on May 21st. It was sponsored by Irish Aid. The OLA Sisters were represented at the event by Srs. Janet Nutakor, Patience Ezimigbo and Majella McCarron.

An RTÉ report estimated that 30,000 people were in attendance.

The event included stands from many large and small NGOs that work across Africa along with music and food stalls showcasing the best of African cuisine. Many African countries including Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana and Uganda had stands at Farmleigh Estate to highlight their unique culture and traditions.

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The Botswana stand.

According to Irish Aid, an aim of the Africa Day event is to raise awareness of the progress being made thanks to the significant investment by the official overseas aid development programme of the Irish government. Other aims include:

Highlighting the connection between Africa and Ireland.
Increasing awareness of the contribuitions of the vibrant African diaspora in Ireland.
Showcasing the cultural and economic potential of the continent.

According to Sr. Janet Nutakor, the Irish Aid funded Africa Day celebrations ‘showcase what Irish Aid are doing in Africa and also among the African community living in Ireland’. She felt the event was an ‘educational event for the Irish public’

An Africa Day event will take place in Fitzgerald Park, Cork this Saturday, 27th May, from 12pm to 6pm. The OLA Sisters will have a stand at the event.

Sr. Janet, a native of Ghana, is involved with the OLA Outreach to Africans in Ireland ministry and will be present at the Africa Day event in Cork.

She also had a message for Irish missionaries:

"Kudos to the Irish missioners, great men and women for their selfless sacrifices and service to the continent of Africa."

The continent of Africa is the second largest in terms of area and population. According to the Population Reference Bureau (www.prb.org), Africa has a population of 1.2 billion dispersed among the 54 countries on the continent.

The OLA Sisters have had a presence in Africa since 1878 and soon after arriving they set about developing education facilities. They became some of the earliest advocates for female education in Africa.

Today, the OLA Sisters have a presence in 12 African countries: