Today and Beyond (2021–Present)
MWMA now hosts the Harmony Festival each March and the Festival of Lights each November, drawing thousands to Stow Gardens. With secure funding, a new office, and ongoing ESL programs, MWMA continues to celebrate diversity and strengthen connections across the Midwest community.
Strengthening Programs (2016–2020)
MWMA broadened its work through ESL classes, cooking projects, and support for cultural groups. Under President Tom Mwangi Maina (2016–2023), the association grew stronger, navigating challenges such as COVID by creating the online eFestival of Lights and launching Tastes of the World.
Growing Festivals (2008–2016)
MWMA took responsibility for Harmony Day in 2008, expanding it into a major community festival by 2011. In 2014, the first Diwali Festival attracted over 2,000 people, later evolving into today’s Multicultural Festival of Lights.
Founding the Association (2000–2008)
In 2000, Ernest Gutsa and local community leaders began shaping a multicultural organisation. On 26 November 2008, the Midwest Multicultural Association was officially incorporated, supported by a committee of dedicated volunteers and the City of Geraldton.
Early Roots (1880s–1990s)
The Midwest has long been home to cultural diversity. From Abdallah Mahomet, a Turkish gardener in the 1880s, to Italian, Chinese, and Japanese market gardeners, and later migrant programs in the 1980s–90s, each wave of settlement enriched the region. ESL classes, cultural festivals, and migrant services laid the foundations for what became MWMA.
