December 24 2019

Tasnim Saadi

The December 24 2019 annual fundraiser... what an event!

Some would refer to it as the “main” Hararian Organisation Inc event of the year, but to me and many others that have had the pleasure of being an active participant in the experience, it is safe to call it a journey. As the active planning process began about six months before the scheduled date, the collaborative transfer of ideas during the initial meetings provided the basis which kick started the foundation of what would not only be a memorable night but rather, an educational course which would have otherwise been neglected. It resulted in the theme being on “Awaach and Enayach” or “The Forefathers and Mothers of Harar”.

The aim? To educate and to commemorate those that had come before us and shaped the Harari people into who we are in our essence today.

The preceding weeks of running meetings, writing scripts and speeches, social media and radio promotions, play rehearsals, more meetings, performance practices, overcoming an unexpected hurdle, organising smaller fundraisers and even more meetings indisputably kept the community on our feet.

Despite the expected challenges that come with organising such an event, I think it’s safe to say that the countless months, days and seconds that had been put into perfecting such a night-journey, came together successfully.

Watch the full December 24 (2019) play here.