Simba ngoma Guernsey– where cultures meet…
Simba ngoma is translated in Swahili as lion dance/ drum. One may ask how this translates to African Food Events. Well, this for me was a place: a place where I enjoyed having my meals and made lasting friendships, a result of socializing with people from all walks of life. From that happy place of my youthful years, and now in my adult life the name Simba ngoma was reborn in the form of African Food Events.
A quick peek into my Simba Ngoma memory palace: So, I moved to Guernsey from mainland UK as a woman of colour, with the hope that all services would be readily available to me and others like me. It very quickly hit me that finding services and opportunities in this place is next to none. Not to mention the hustle I went through deciphering what was available for people of colour. Are you a black woman adorned with kinky hair? Then you surely understand how demanding our hair is, matters care, yeah? Need I mention how difficult it was (and still is) for me to come across afro kinky hair friendly, products.
Out of those and many more challenges I faced while adjusting to life in Guernsey, I saw an opportunity to not just empower the black community, but also give them a homely experience away from home. Simba Ngoma was then birthed and seeing this baby grow has been quite a momentous journey for me, not to mention what a blessing it has been to my people residing in this beautiful island.
Our goal is to create a platform that sign posts newbies to valuable information while living on the Island. This invaluable information comes handy in integrating with the local culture through our African Food Events, by sharing services available locally and learning everything Guernsey has to offer, especially those of colour.
These African Food Events bring Guernsey and non-Guernsey cultures together, a true nourishment to the soul and body. We welcome everyone- “foodies”, African cuisine critics, friends of Africa, curious “butterflies” and anyone one who values finding meaningful and lasting friendships.
Through our Facebook platform, GuernseySimbaNgoma we interact with our homies and avail information to them. Our Instagram page, guernsimbangoma enables us document and share our memorable moments as black people in Guernsey. To see previous African Food Fusion events, our social media handles are a good place to start with.
Karibu Nyumbani (Welcome home)
Cathy Wanyoike
