What if you were in Nairobi, Lagos, Cape Town, Kinshasa, Port of Spain and Kingston at the same time? Well, that’s exactly what ESA did with their Urban Ubuntu event on the 9th of October 2025. The East and Southern African Society ( ESA) is a fairly new society on campus, started by Risper Okello ( current President and an Economics student) in 2024. Her goal was to unite students from this part of the continent, given their shared cultural and linguistic heritage.
ESA has gradually grown to become a fairly well-known society on campus within a year of being ratified, and after a successful Valentine’s Day Event in February, the committee took the bold decision to host their first club event on campus. The ESA events team, headed by Anesu Mugodi ( myself ) and Collins Mgomella, conceptualised what would be the University of Surrey’s first Afro-diasporic event for the 2025/26 year. Following a series of meetings and discussions, the committee agreed to host the event at ‘The Basement’ on campus. The DJs would be members of the ESA Community, once again myself ( yes I can DJ) and Aiden Muna. The DJs spent hours practising their sets and making sure the event would run smoothly. It would be the first time performing in front of a crowd of this size at a club for both of them.
In the week leading up to the event, emotions were high, a mix of stress, excitement and anxiety consumed the members of the committee. The final practice run took place two days before the event, at which point the team felt ready.
9 OCTOBER 2025… the day had come. The crowd began coming into the venue around 11PM, Anesu Mugodi ( stage name JNR MUSIQUE ) kicked off with a set of Afro-house and ‘private school’ Amapiano, before jumping into the mainstream Amapiano hits. Aiden Muna came in to provide a mix a RnB, Dancehall, Hip Hop and Amapiano, after which JNR MUSIQUE was back with Afro-beats and a final Amapiano closing act. For their first club event, the ESA team did a fantastic job, from planning to execution and making sure that the event ran smoothly throughout the night. On balance, the feedback was positive, and the team may look into hosting more club-style events in the future.
One of the key takeaways from Urban Ubuntu was the power of unity. ESA has members from different countries, religions and backgrounds, all united by a desire to build and maintain a welcoming community. Despite our differences, we have the ability to put them aside to work towards a common goal and do great things. Being a member of ESA reminded me that there is strength in numbers and that a collective effort towards a collective goal is a key part of building and maintaining a successful organisation. I would encourage all international students to draw inspiration from Risper and not be afraid to take a leap of faith and try something new, especially when you’re far from home. One person’s vision can build an entire movement of people, so never underestimate yourself.
Finally, I would like to thank the remaining members of the team whom I have not mentioned. Krislee Stevenson (Treasurer), Thero Matlho ( Vice President ), Iaah Sanhori ( Secretary ), Katie Mucharia, Sibusiswe Mazibuko and Joan Gabriel ( Social Team) and Jamie-Jean Louis and Matthew Prista-Johnson ( Sports Officers ).
As Events Manager for ESA, I would also like to thank the community at large for showing up to our event! We hope to continue uniting the community one event at a time.
