Africa-Press – Tanzania. It was a colourful event when the Tanzanian Embassy in Sweden, in collaboration with Tanzanian diaspora communities , successfully staged a grand celebration to the World’s Kiswahili Day in the Swedish capital, Stockholm on July 5, this year.
This commemoration takes place globally on July 7 each year, starting from 2022, following a resolution adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Speaking at the event, Tanzania’s Ambassador to Sweden, H.E. Mobhare Matinyi, said the Tanzanian government is committed to promoting and honoring Kiswahili globally.
He elaborated on how the language has spread and emphasized that, thanks to Tanzania’s influence, Kiswahili is now an official working language of the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The guest of honour at the celebration was Sweden’s former Minister for Gender Equality, H.E. Nyamko Sabuni, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but was born in Burundi and raised in Tanzania before moving to Sweden.
In her Kiswahili address, she expressed how the language connects these countries and shared that even in Kenya, where she conducts business, she uses Kiswahili.
The colorful event featured a rich variety of Tanzanian cuisine and items that showcased Tanzanian and Swahili culture — including spices, fashion exhibitions, decorative arts, traditional dances, music, poetry, and children’s storytelling.
This unique celebration brought together over 500 people, including Tanzanians, individuals of East and Central African descent, Swedish friends of Tanzania, and ambassadors and representatives from Botswana, China, Eritrea, India, Japan, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.
Sponsors who partnered with the Embassy included two Tanzanian banks — NMB and CRDB — along with the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS), Kenzan Travel, Green Tours Tanzania, and Monty’s Glow
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