(ABC 6 News) – The third annual Somali Culture and Independence Day event kicked off at the RCTC stadium in Rochester on Saturday.

The event was put on by Pamoja Women, a non-profit that connects women to resources and programs.

The organization connects women to health services, transportation, employment coaching, and more.

The event was a chance for the East African Community in Rochester to celebrate their heritage and help the younger generation learn about the culture, even as they are growing up in the United States.

“We’re all born and raised here, so we just want to bring our generation out culture back,” Khadija Ali, co-founder of Pamoja Women, said. “We just want to share it with our children and also the mainstream culture.”

The event was designed for kids, and had a bounce house, face painting, henna and soccer games.

The event was open to everyone and featured food from other East African cultures.

The founders of Pamoja Women said opening the space to the entire community gave others the chance to learn about their culture.

“It’s not only for our community, we say everyone is welcome,” Fatuma Ahmed, co-founder of Pamoja Women, said. “Don’t think that you’re going to be different, we’re all the same.”