Learn about South Africa at the Valparaiso International Center on March 27, 2015

Zanele-KutamoThe Valparaiso International Center (The VIC) will host a free presentation about South Africa on Friday, March 27, 2015, at 7 pm, at the organization’s headquarters, 309 East Lincolnway, Valparaiso. The event is part of The VIC’s Fourth Friday series.

Zanele Kutamo will speak about the rich cultural diversity of her homeland, a nation with eleven official national languages and a huge array of music and dance forms. With Africa’s largest economy, South Africa is a major force on the continent. It emerged from the tragedy of apartheid with a commitment to reconciliation that astounded the world. South Africa is a land of great natural beauty with enormous promise for the future.

Zanele Kutamo arrived in America in 2003 as an au pair working for a Valparaiso family. She began taking classes at Ivy Tech and earned a degree in database management in 2007. She went on to earn another degree from Valparaiso University, where she also worked as an admissions counselor. She is now employed by NiSource. Kutamo may sing a song in Zulu for her audience, and she may have some South African treats to share.

Fourth Friday at The VIC is a periodic series of presentations and discussions about various aspects of international cultures. The speakers are natives of the subject country or have some special expertise. Recent presentations have featured Myanmar, Belgium, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand.

The VIC is an independent nonprofit organization that serves all of Northwest Indiana from its headquarters in downtown Valparaiso. It provides a forum to learn about different cultures through interactive events, festivals, classes, and discussion groups. The VIC also helps international residents and visitors adjust to their new surroundings through an online guidebook, “Open Doors to All.” The organization will sponsor its seventh annual World Cultural Festival at Central Park Plaza in Valparaiso on September 19, 2015. For more information on the Valparaiso International Center, visit its website at www.valpovic.org.