THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS MULTICULTURAL EVENT AT SMART CITY MALTA

By Veronica Ugates
Malta
September 29, 2015



The 21^st of September  2015 is the International Day of peace  and the Third Country Nationals Support Network Malta [TSN Malta]  had chosen to celebrate this very important day by holding a cultural event at Smart City, Kalkara, Malta dubbed a “walk around the world”.

TSN Malta is a migrant organization set up through EEA funds whose members hail from or have strong ancestral ties from countries outside  the European Union.  The main aim of TSN Malta is the integration of third country nationals, through cooperation and solidarity with all other cultures in Malta.

The different country representatives of the TSN Malta have joined together to make this a very memorable and fun-filled day where the general public was invited to walk around tables of food prepared by nationals from different parts of the world, while listening and watching diverse music and dance productions   staged by various groups of different nationalities . Inspite of  forceful discouraging winds, Filipino, Russian, Pakistani, Indian, Oromo, Maltese, El Salvador,  and other performers  turned up to give a taste of their culture to a crowd of about 500-600 people.

Tables were set up with food  from Sudan, Oromo, Russia, China, Syria, Pakistan, India,  Libya and the Philippines. Children’s activities included doll-making with straw, face painting and dressing-up while several artisan stalls, were also set-up with decorative pictures, food products, jewelries and country souvenirs.  The Maltese also participated bringing Flamenco, Egyptian belly dancing and Maltese bread to make Bruschetta with tomatoes and tuna to the event.

The affair was ably managed by the very energetic coordinator Marcelle Bugre together with her equally dedicated  husband, Prof. Ahmed Bugri, chairman of the Foundation for Shelter of Migrants. It was a beautiful day to remember.

          It is our pride to say that the Filipino food, the humble pancit, fried chicken wings and lumpia found response in the gustatory delight of our guests so much so that within an hour it was all consumed .  Well, perhaps one factor was we had not prepared enough for that many people.

However even the desserts  went the same way, as the pan de coco prepared and presided over by Ms. Laila Roa-Caruana, banana cake of Vilma Bonifacio and  turon made by Tiny Wheeler were immediately devoured by the hungry crowd and the delightful yemas prepared by Ruzzel Faure were the special target of children of whatever nationality.