This year marks the third year there will be a celebration of a particular culture that is growing in population in this area.
Events in Galesburg and Monmouth over the weekend mark “LIPANDA Days” — a celebration of people from The Congo, and their culture.
Organizers say there may be a thousand or more families of Congolese in the area, and they invite you to learn more about them this weekend.
“We thought that it was important to share our culture and get people to know us,” said Gogo Kupa, to WGIL. “Living in a small community like Galesburg and the surrounding area is a good thing for us.”
Kupa says there will be live entertainment Saturday at Monmouth’s Public Square, with a church service Sunday in Galesburg, and a performance later in the day at the Orpheum Theatre.
Kupa also helped form “The Lipanda Foundation,” which she says will help other Congolese adjust to life in Galesburg and the United States. She says she was frustrated at first moving to this area because she couldn’t find a job in what she loved, and needed help with the language. Since then, she’s adjusted just fine.
“I really love this place. It became my home,” said Kupa. “I got married here…this is my home now.”
This is the first year what was the LIPANDA Day Festival has lasted the weekend, and has covered parts of two communities. It started Friday with an event for children at the Galesburg Public Library, and a fundraising event at The Vault.
