African Festival taking place during NBHF

CRESCO - Did you know there are residents of Cresco and Howard County who come from Africa? Yes, you probably did, or maybe assumed.

But did you know there are individuals from five different African countries? 

Would you like to learn more about their cultures?

Make plans to attend the African Cultural Festival at Cresco First Methodist Church at 310 N. Elm St. on Saturday, Aug. 28. It is a come-and-go cultural diversity event taking place from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

For the remainder of the day, visitors can look at cultural displays and artifacts from the various countries represented. There will be some power point presentations on each country as well.

Pastor Derrick Okine of the Methodist Church is organizing the festival. “I want children, regardless of color, to know that we are one,” he said. The way to do that is to explain the different cultures. Part of his plan is to build relationships.

Okine knows what he is doing. He has done it before. He organized the first African Night at South Dakota State University in 2008. He did the same in Sioux City, Iowa in 2015. He continues to help at both annual events.

He explained foreigners come to the United States for many reasons. “They might be looking for greener pastures, working to make money to send home, studying, security and safety or for food.” 

Okine suggested, “When foreigners come, encourage them. Give them education. Then send them back. It is like teaching them to fish.”

He himself started as an engineer in Ghana. He studied in Russia for eight years, South Korea for five years, Japan for one year and has been in the United States since 2007. He plans to use some of his knowledge of wind power to help his country.

The pastor explained how important diversity is to a community. “In one culture, you don’t have all the skills. But once you have diversity, you attract even more people.”

He has found that in Cresco a person may go to church on Sunday and then work on Monday at Featherlite. The kids go to church, and the next day they go to school and get bullied. 

“What you are seeing is children doing what they learned from their parents. Children are like a video machine. They watch and learn.”

The pastor is hoping that children, their parents and others will attend the African Festival and learn about different cultures.

He also practices what he preaches. He is attending local Bible studies at different churches, getting to know and learn from other denominations as well.

There will be another event in October. (No date has been chosen yet.) It is INFIDEC (International Festival of Diversity & Culture). Locals can learn about diversity and more. 

Food, along with recipes, will be available at this festival. Some of it is very spicy and includes peanut soup, palm soup, jollof rice and fried chicken.

“In Africa, we eat a lot of corn/maize. It is a staple food. We grind it, ferment it and use it for porridge and baking bread.”

Okine is hoping to help bring everyone in the community together, regardless of whether they are a sixth generation Iowan or just moved to the area. “It takes time. You have to start from somewhere.”

He is also thinking about taking mission trips to Ghana.

It is all about getting along and spreading the word of God.