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  • Welcome Remarks by Hope Azeda at Ikaze Night Party for Ubumuntu Arts Festival 2018

Welcome Remarks by Hope Azeda at Ikaze Night Party for Ubumuntu Arts Festival 2018

Hon. Minister of Sports and Culture, Our sponsors, Dear Participants,

All protocol observed.

My warmest regards to you all. It gives me great pleasure to finally realise the fruits of the extensive preparations to make this day happen.

The values of this festival lie really close to my heart as many of you already know, I eat, breathe, and drink Ubumuntu. This is the 4th edition and the support and interest received has been positively overwhelming. This year’s theme is Art and the Path to Resilience.

I am excited to see your various stories portraying the strong resolve to keep your heads above water. This year for the first time we will have the performances from the persons living with disabilities and I must tell you that disability does not mean inability. Please spread the message to your friends and family and come spend the next 3 days with us. I know there is a world cup final on Sunday but we can work something out.

A big shout out goes to all the countries gracing us with their presence today (Sri Lanka, the UK, Rwanda, Kenya, Iraq, Belgium, the US, Nigeria, DRC, Sweden, Zimbabwe., Burundi, Egypt, Canada and Uganda). 

Without you, individually and collectively, this would not only be a dream. Thank you. Thank you.

To each one of our Sponsors, (I hope the MC is doing a good job of recognising you), thank you for picking our calls. Thank you for taking time to meet us, listening to our vision, and dreams and saying yes to making that dream a reality. I hostly don’t know what we could have done without you. Your contribution to this festival knows no boundaries.

To the festival team, thank you for putting up with me. Thank you for ensuring my crazy demands saw the light of day. Thank you for believing in me and keeping the flame alight even when we hit bumps. You have made me a better person each time I work with you.

Tonight we celebrate each one of you here present. We hope that the entertainment lined up for you will leave a smile on your face and remind you that we are human together.

Thank you.

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