The Childhood Mission ‘My Little Jesus’ presents the 1st Games of the Portuguese Language World
On the 22nd May, the group ‘My Little Jesus’ from the community of St Annes in Whitechapel, brought together hundreds of children and adults for the 1st Cultural and Religious Gincana (Games) of the Portuguese Language World. The theme chosen by the organisers was: ‘Integration among Roots’. The main aim was to celebrate cultural diversity and promote integration among people who live in London but whose first language is Portuguese in their country of origin.
During the event, six mix-aged groups competed in the traditional games of sac race, egg and spoon race and the ‘dance of the orange’ (Brazilian game pictured above). The climax of the competition was when the groups demonstrated their cultural knowledge of countries like Brazil, Portugal, Angola, and others, and the need for greater integration among its peoples. To demonstrate this, each group used theatrical skits, music and even folkloric costumes made of recycled material. There was a lot of laughter, applause and some presentations even evoked an emotional response from the audience.
For Keith Reis, one of the coordenators of the event, the Games were a big success because it fostered the spirit of friendship and fellowship which were being promoted. ‘This only happened because of the behaviour of all who came, and primarily, of the teams who played cheerfully and honestly demonstrating a true understanding of the purpose and the aims of the Games.’ The winning team of this first ever Games was ‘Feijao com Bacalhau’ (Beans with Cod). ‘Tropa de Elite’ and ‘Lusomania’ came second and third respectively.
The group ‘My Little Jesus’ is formed only of volunteers and meets every saturday from 2pm in the community of St Annes, on Underwood Rd in Whitechapel, offering physical, cultural and religious activities, including the teaching of Portuguese. For more information, please contact meupqnojesus@hotmail.co.uk or visit our blog: www.meupqnojesus.blogspot.com.
Blog Post Written by Thiago Tonussi
Tags: games, gincana, london, meu pequeno jesus
