The birth of a child is a happy event all around the world.
“Birth is a common experience and there are so many different traditions and ways to celebrate,” said Sana Mohammed, who is organizing the Interfaith Baby Shower with Myah Dhillon, an event to honour the children and families of the area’s faith groups. “I learned a lot as we were getting ready for this. I found out that some faiths whisper the name of God or prayers to a newborn and that it is common to give gifts of clothing and toys to a new baby.
“It has been special to me to be involved in the Interfaith Bridging Project because there are not many young people involved and I want people to know there is a younger Muslim community. We are pleased to see more young people of all backgrounds coming to our interfaith events and we hope to see many young families out.”
Mohammed, a member of the Interfaith Bridging Project committee since it began last year, graduates from UBCO this spring with a degree in social work specializing in child welfare.
Dhillon took the photographs of children of different faiths that will be used in the presentation on birth traditions at the Baby Shower. She grew up in Vernon and graduated from Western Academy of Photography in Victoria and will be attending Toronto Film School in the fall. She has a business, Myah Dhillon Photography, focusing on fashion and wedding photography, in Toronto.
“I loved taking the photos of the kids for the shower. Kids are so spontaneous and a challenge,” she said.
The Interfaith Baby Shower takes place April 27 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church (1406-32 Ave., Vernon). It starts with a chance to browse through baby and children’s things from local businesses. Then there will be some baby shower games and the presentation to learn more about how different faiths and cultures welcome babies, followed by refreshments.
Entertainment will be provided by Betty Johnson, with her original composition, Bless the Child in Me, written in celebration of babies and children, and also featured on the DVD presentation. She will be accompanied by Andrew Smith.
Families with children and anyone who wants to learn more about birth traditions are welcome. Childcare will be provided and there will be prizes for the youngest baby and the mother with the most children. The Interfaith Baby Shower is free but people are encouraged to bring a baby gift which will be given to the Women’s Transition House, the Pregnancy Outreach Program, North Okanagan Pregnancy Centre and the Aboriginal Infant and Early Childhood Development.
The Interfaith Baby Shower is part of the Interfaith Café series of the Interfaith Bridging Project sponsored by the Vernon and District Immigrant Services Society. For more information see the Web site at interfaithvernon.org or e-mail Nola or Harpal at vdiss.interfaith@gmail.com.
