EAST ORANGE — The kites flying in Elmwood Park on Saturday were fun but they were more than that.
“It’s also symbolic, flying a kite, capturing the wind and flying above the trauma in your life,” said Aziza Kibibi, founder of Precious Little Ladies which organized and sponsored the event.
Flying kites was one of the few happy memories from her own childhood, Kibibi said. Her father would build kites and then take his children out to fly them.
The same man, however, started molesting her when she was 8 and began to rape her when she was 10. She was 15 when she had her first child by him, which he delivered in their East Orange home.
Kibibi survived more than 17 years of incestuous abuse that resulted in five pregnancies sired by her biological father Aswad Ayinde, who was director of the Fugees’ music video “Killing Me Softly” which won “Best R&B Video” at the 1996 MTV Music Video Awards. He is currently serving 90 years in prison for raping Kibibi and one of her sisters.
Kibibi founded Precious Little Ladies to combat child molestation and help those suffering from it. It was officially charted as a non-profit organization in 2016. The day of kite flying, which has become an annual event, is done in partnership with East Orange City Council, Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services.
About 225 people registered to participate in the event beforehand and a few more showed up the day of the event.
In addition to kite flying there were numerous agencies on hand to assist people with health, wellness, and safety issues. Book bags and school supplies were
handed out as were Precious Little Ladies kites, which further served a symbolic purpose when they were lofted into the air.
“Everyone who flies a kite contributes to raising awareness, literally,” Kibibi said.
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