Reflection - Two Years Of Afro Swiss Families

Two years ago in October, we were preparing for our very first Afro Swiss Families Meet & Play, “Come Say Hello.” We had just launched the website and registered the Verein two months earlier, and now we were in the midst of planning our first gathering at the Familienzentrum in Winterthur. Nerves were high, and it was all hands on deck as we cut out garlands and prepped salsa, pilau, and other snacks. Grandma stepped in to help, bringing along her signature cookies. Finally, on the last Sunday of October, we welcomed our first and most supportive members: Winnie, Fahad, and Raphael. From there, we kicked off our monthly Meet & Play series, starting with a Books and Brunch event and our first Christmas get-together in 2022.

Like with any new venture, the initial turnout was small as was the case for the next , but that didn’t deter us. Slowly but surely, word began to spread, and the community started to take shape. Things really picked up momentum in January 2023 when we hosted our first painting party at the Familienzentrum Winterthur. The room was filled with families, laughter, and creativity as the children painted alongside their parents. That event marked a significant turning point for us. Seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter of both children and adults reaffirmed the vision of creating a space where multi-ethnic and multicultural families could connect. From that day forward, more families joined our gatherings, and we began to see the seeds of lasting friendships and community partnerships starting to take root.

One of our earliest partnerships was with Happy Hair Day, who facilitated the first of our workshop series “Loving Me - Hairworkshop”. We also hosted the “Loving Me - Raising Racially Resilient Kids” workshop with Motsabi Rooper and participated in the annual National Swiss Day Barbecue in Basel with Afro Basel. Alongside these workshops, our monthly Meet & Plays continued, featuring potluck lunches where families brought their favorite dishes, hikes in Hasliberg, and creative get-togethers like painting and beading parties.

2023 was a year of firsts. We celebrated our one-year anniversary with our first Halloween potluck—special thanks to Lauren for organizing and hosting! This was followed by a Samichlaus Brunch, brilliantly put together by Winnie. These events marked a new phase for our community, as more members began to take the lead in organizing activities. This shift was a big step towards making Afro Swiss Families a truly community-driven platform. We were also fortunate to receive support from ici.gemeinsamhier for the period of November 2023 to December 2024.

The momentum continued into 2024, beginning with a visit to Skills Park, followed by a series of potluck lunches, painting parties, and trips to Tierpark Goldau and the Kinderzoo. We also launched the Afro Swiss Families dinner series—thank you, Dee, for initiating and driving this wonderful initiative! Another highlight was hosting "Loving Me - Raising Multilingual Kids" with Afi Huguette Kreyling of Miniglotte. Our collaboration with Afro-Pfingsten led to our first panel discussion, moderated by Pamela Ohene-Nyako, which explored the intersections of race, gender, and literature with speakers like Motsabi Rooper, Ify Odenigbo, and Danielle Isler. We also shared our love of books through our Pop-Up Library and an interactive book reading.

For all the excitement and momentum of 2023 spilling into 2024, these past two years have been an incredible learning curve. Yes, there have been "teething problems" and challenges along the way, and there will probably be more to come. But the joy of creating a space where our children and their peers feel seen, validated, and safe makes every effort worthwhile.

Reflecting on these two years, it’s clear they have been filled with moments that have shaped our journey and brought us closer. We’ve welcomed new faces, shared countless meals, explored beautiful trails, visited animal parks, and created lasting memories at our painting parties. Each event has added richness to our collective experience.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support, generosity and donations of our members. It’s the collective efforts of each family—whether helping set up events, bringing food to share, or simply showing up—that have formed the foundation of our community. We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors and partners, including ici.gemeinsamhier and Afro-Pfingsten, for believing in our vision and supporting us in countless ways.

Our main focus is to create a community where multi-ethnic and multicultural families can come together to connect, celebrate, explore, learn, play, and reflect. A thousand thank-yous for being on this journey with us and helping us realise this vision. Here’s to many more years of growth, learning, and celebration!

Warmest,

Ellen & Daniel