Africa’s Best at African Fest : Church’s Cultural Fair Raises Money for the Victims of Tribal Clashes

The six women in black tank tops and white flowing skirts slowly stretched their necks in circular motions, undulated their bodies and moved their arms in waves as taped African music accompanied them on stage Saturday.

The Watutsi Dancers’ movements were meant to imitate the graceful walk of the cattle in Rwanda, where the animals symbolize wealth and have long, upstretched horns.

Their performance, typical of royal dancers from the Masai tribe, was one of a dozen acts featured at the African Fest ’93 held at The Main Place Christian Fellowship church.

Church members organized the festival to raise money for refugees in Eastern Africa.

“I hate to just ask for money so I thought, ‘Why don’t we offer (donors) a side of Africa they rarely see?’ ” said Evelyn Komuntale, a church member who came from Zaire six years ago.

The festival, she said, offers “the fun and colorful Africa that we should share.”

Tribal clashes in Rwanda and Zaire broke out in April, forcing hundreds of families to move to Uganda, Komuntale said. Her family was among them.

The $10 fee at the festival will buy medical supplies, food and clothing for the refugees, said church Pastor Rich Mathisrud, 45.

“Welcome to African Fest ’93 and we will have this event annually from now on,” the pastor said in his opening remarks to about 250 people in the sanctuary, which had been decorated with multicolored cloth and palm tree branches.

After he spoke, the stage was filled with singers, then dancers and models wearing African native clothing.

The lobby leading to the sanctuary was turned into a marketplace, with booths selling African jewelry, clothing, woodwork and paintings.

Outside, chairs and tables were set up near “The Garden of Eatin’,” where African cuisine such as chicken curry was sold.

Mathisrud said his church began reaching out to African immigrants several years ago when it acquired an associate pastor from Nigeria. Now, 10% of the church’s 400 members are Africans who came to the United States to study or work.

The associate pastor, Anthony Ogugu, 30, said he can not remember Orange County ever having a festival celebrating African culture.