By LORETTA FULTON

“Ok, you’re going to get two beans out,” Ella Mansur instructed the group of eager learners circled around the table.

They were learning the game of Mancala, with roots in Africa, which made it perfect for demonstrating African culture on World Refugee Day. A local celebration to highlight the culture and traditions of local refugees was held June 20 at the Community Foundation of Abilene office.

Mansur works for the local office of the International Rescue Committee, which opened in the fall of 2003. In recent years, about 250 refugees, primarily from African countries, have been resettled in Abilene, said Carah Barbarick, community integration manager for the local IRC. 

Ella Mansur, with the local office of the International Rescue Committee, teaches the game of Mancala. Photo by Loretta Fulton

On World Refugee Day, many of them were eager to take part in the festivities at the Community Foundation office, including learning how to play Mancala, a strategy game involving moving beans around a playing surface.

“The youngest player starts first,” Mansur said. “Who’s the youngest?”

A player demonstrates the game of Mancala during a World Refugee Day celebration June 20. Photo by Loretta Fulton

As the players progressed through the game, Kiana Suliven began setting up a sound system so that her dancers could give a workshop in Tahitian dance moves. Suliven, who is Hawaiian, came to Abilene in 2018 and opened a dance studio in 2022 at the Abilene Performing Arts Company on Industrial Boulevard. Her studio is called Hoa Rahi, which means Close Friend. Even though Suliven is Hawaiian, she is a master of the Tahitian moves.

“We all grow up learning different types of Polynesian dances,” she said.

Kiana Suliven, owner of Hoa Rahi dance studio, demonstrates how to tie a pareo or sarong during a demonstration of Tahitian dances. Photo by Loretta Fulton

As the guests lined up to learn the basic moves, Suliven handed out colorful folded fabrics that formed a “pareo” or sarong. Suliven instructed the group to make a knot on their left side, signifying their student status.

Next came stretching and warmup exercises–a must for the gyrating moves that were coming. Tahitian dances require a lot of hip moving and a lot of bending, Suliven said. 

“So, just be prepared for that,” she warned as the group worked its ways through the warmups.

World Refugee Day is celebrated every June 20. Theme for 2023 was Hope Away from Home. The following information and more about refugees is posted on the United Nations website, https://www.un.org/en/observances/refugee-day

“World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.”

 Loretta Fulton is founder and editor of Spirit of Abilene