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Winnipeg’s Ghanaian community has been forced into scramble mode after most of its outfits were stolen with only three days to go before its Folklorama pavilion opens.
In all, about 75 outfits made from authentic Ghanaian fabrics patterns and prints are gone, along with 20 soccer jerseys for a special dance in honour of the small African country’s FIFA team.
“Some were brand new. We just brought them last summer,” said Jaelynne Wormenor, who is head of guest services for the Ghana pavilion and has three children who’ve danced in Folklorama for the past 10 years.
“Whenever an auntie or someone goes to Ghana to visit, we always try and fill our suitcases with stuff that we can use for our pavilion.”
The outfits were stored in two heavy-duty black tote bins with yellow lids that were inside a car belonging to Wormenor and her husband. It was parked at their home on Banning Street in the city’s West End.
Her husband got into the car Thursday afternoon and noticed things had been moved around. He opened the glove box and saw his sunglasses and a couple other things were gone, Wormenor said.
He then checked the trunk, where the totes had been stored, and it was empty.
Jaelynne Wormenor says about 75 outfits, along with 20 soccer jerseys for a dance in honour of Ghana’s FIFA team, are gone. (Kevin Nepitabo/CBC)
“We usually bring our stuff in every day, but because we were going to be planning on meeting today, we left it in our trunk [on Tuesday],” Wormenor said Friday.
“I was very emotional yesterday.”
The Ghana pavilion — in its third year, after having been part of the overall African one for decades — is set to run Aug. 2-8 as part of the two-week festival’s first week.
“It’s a smaller community, and we’re trying to make things work,” Wormenor said. “So, this felt like a really big setback, but we’re trying to just make the best of it.”
A police report was filed immediately, and Wormenor then posted on an area Facebook group.
She’s gone up and down back lanes in the area, and her daughter and a friend checked in garbage bins in case someone discarded the outfits.
“They’re really of no value to someone that’s not wanting to dress 19 children with matching outfits,” Wormenor said. “But we didn’t find anything.”
The pavilion’s presentation involves almost 40 dancers between the ages of three and 19.
“We have over 10 dances with all the kids, [and] we had gone through everything for the last few months — put together what the outfit will be per dance,” Wormenor said.
Pavilion dancers in outfits that have since been stolen are seen in a file photo from a previous Folklorama. (Submitted by Jaelynne Wormenor)
“Thankfully, the oldest group, they were in charge of their one bin. They have their outfits for that.”
Wormenor was holding outfits for 30 kids and five different dances that required costume changes.
There’s also one dance that involves all of the performers. The 39 different outfits involved were all in one of the stolen bins, she said.
And then there’s the soccer jerseys that “over the years, we’ve been collecting and purchasing,” Wormenor said.
“So, it was a lot crammed into those two oversized bins.”
Wormenor has checked with pawn shops and thrift stores, who’ve said they would reach out if someone tried to sell the items.
“It’s an unusual thing, right? It’s going to be like 15 of one kind of skirt or one kind of fabric.”
Wormenor said there isn’t really a value she can put on the stolen goods.
“The love and care and time to go and procure all of these things and then bring it back and then make them, or have some of the seamstresses in Ghana over the last 15 years put together some of these outfits,” is priceless, she said.
While Wormenor hasn’t been able to locate the bins, what she has found instead is an outpouring of generosity.
“The beauty is that we’re seeing communities from around all of Winnipeg come together to help us,” she said.
Fabrics donated to the pavilion to sew into replacement outfits Friday. (Kevin Nepitabo/CBC)
Strangers and friends alike, as well as people involved with other Folklorama pavilions, have reached out.
“We’re hoping to have a number of people come this afternoon to our venue and help sew new outfits because some of the aunties from the community have donated bolts of fabric. They’re willing to donate some of those to us,” Wormenor said.
“We’ll see what we get done in 48 hours because our pavilion is Sunday afternoon. But in 48 hours, lots of good can happen.”
A corner of the Notre Dame Recreational Centre will be set up as a workstation for anyone willing to help.