FLTA Cultural Ambassador
Culture is the representation of ideas, customs and social behaviours of a given society or set of people. Cultural ambassador means being a representative of your country in a positive way while being able to respect, learn and appreciate someones else country’s cultural practices. Coming from Kenya, a country blessed with dynamic cultural traditions, there is so much to offer as a cultural ambassador.
To demonstrate how valuable being a cultural ambassador from a country rich in dynamic cultural practices is, the case scenario of volunteering at a local youth centre perfectly brings out this concept. Life entails a continuous learning cycle, and most people strive to learn something new every time. The beauty of being a cultural ambassador is that it offers both opportunities for learning new cultural practices and at the same time teaching others cultural traditions from your country. Being a cultural ambassador entails sharing your cultural practices and learning from other people practices while appreciating and respecting their culture. Below are some of the ways while volunteering at a local youth centre, you can share and at the same time learn other people cultural practices
Organize traditional dancing events. Dancing is in no doubt a universal language as it has a way of connecting people. While volunteering at the local youth centre, teaching others traditional dance from Kenya, especially from the famous Maasai and Kalenjin traditional dancing styles offers excellent opportunities for them to learn. On the other hand, it provides a platform to learn from others their way of life and eventually connecting people.
Establishing student exchange programs. At the local youth centre, it is inevitable to meet youth from different institutions and different cultural backgrounds. Establishing student exchange programs serves as a platform for the exchange of cultural practices and enriching all parties with valuable information regarding other cultures.
While volunteering at the local youth centre, making presentations at the centre provides a platform where one can share their story. Sharing details like the historical background of your home country or town along with cultural practices from your region is an excellent way to share your culture with others.
During leisure time, organizing playgroups and playing a different kind of games together is another opportunity where one can connect with others, share with them their some cultural practices and as well learn new cultural practices from them.
Cultural exchange is beneficial to both parties as it opens both parties to new artistic ideas, and both parties learn and appreciate different cultural practices.