The African Student Association will present the annual Taste of Africa featuring food, traditional performances and African artifacts.

“The purpose of the event is to create awareness about the different types of African food and to provide students with an entertaining cultural night,” said Nancy Kinyanjui, president of the African Student Association.

Vice President Fanus Woldegebriel thinks Africans are a minority on campus and hopes the event will allow the NIU community to get a glimpse of the African culture.

“It is an annual event, and we chose to put it in the Newman Center because we always have good turnouts the other times,” Kinyanjui said. “All the members are cooking traditional food from each of their countries.”

There will be traditional homemade dishes from several countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Angola and Liberia. Along with the food, there also will be a presentation of African dancing.

“We are having a performance from a group in Chicago called the Internal Capoeira Angola Foundation,” Kinyanjui said. “I read about them from their Web site, and I think it is a really good organization.”

People attending also will get an opportunity to see traditional African artifacts.

“So if they are waiting for food, they can do some shopping,” Kinyanjui said. “There is also a raffle for prizes that local businesses donated.”

Kinyanjui hopes that people attending the event will like the food so much that they will ask how to make some of the dishes.

“People should know that it is hard to find the ingredients for African food, but not impossible,” Kinyanjui said. “So they can realize they can make the food in their own home.”