Engabu Za Tooro awarded by the Catholic Church for promoting culture renaissance and revival in Uganda.

Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) has been awarded by the Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal - Uganda for promoting cultural renaissance and revival inTooro region. Similar to what is happening in many communities in Uganda, Tooro culture has been declining because of weak institutions especially at clan and family levels, declining Runyoro – Rutooro language and abandoning the performance of cultural rituals like the Empaako naming ritual.

The Bishop of  Fort Portal giving out the award

While presenting the award on Sunday, 10^th June, 2015 to Moses Kigambo Araali, Engabu Za Tooro cultural musician, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal Rt. Rev. Dr. Robert K. Muhiirwa appreciated Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) for revitalizing Tooro culture especially through cultural music, conducting indigenous knowledge research, safeguarding heritage like the Koogere and Empaako Intangible Heritage.

The Bishop of Fort Portal Diocese also appreciated Engabu Za Tooro for strengthening cultural institutions especially clans and families, strengthening Tooro language and reviving the performance of cultural rituals like the Empaako naming ritual among the Batooro, Banyoro, Basongora, Batagwenda, Banyaruguru, Batuku, Bagungu, Banyabindi, Ba NyaMboga and Baziba in Western Uganda, Eastern DR Congo and Northern Tanzania respectively.

The Catholic Diocese of Fort Portal also awarded EngabuZaTooro cultural musician Moses KigamboAraali for greatly promoting the music industry in Tooro region through his inspirational and motivational songs like Kihoire Mbogo Ya Mawu, otasomere oliwoha which motivated many people to appreciate education for development, Akaro Komugisa which was aimed at promoting tourism in the region, Itaka Kintu Kikuru aimed at inspiring people in the region to appreciate the value of land.

In addition to Kigambo Araali, other Engabu Za Tooro cultural musicians and comedians are Master Kalenzi popularly known for his Obu Nyamahunde and Busongora bwa Kogere songs, Kabagambe Salongo popularly known for his Akaracwa Omuhoro song and Zebidayo Mwesige Mukwikwi who is popularly known for his Akasindikaine comedy.

Listen to Engabu Za Tooro cultural music

The annual award was also attended by Uganda state minister for Culture Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, Edward Kawamara - the clan head of Bagweri, the head of the Empaako safeguarding committee – Msgr. Peter Kumaraki Araali, Rev. Fr. Fredrick Douglas Waako – the Director of social communications Commission at the Catholic Church, Richard Rwabuhinga Abboki – the district Chairperson Kabrole, Hon. Alex Ruhunda Akiiki – MP Fort Portal Municipality and other former political leaders like the former MPFort Portal Municipality – Henry Basaliza Araali and Former Fort Portal Mayor – Mr. Bob Kaganda among others.

EZT Cultural Troupe perfoming

Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) which is accredited to provide advisory services to UNESCO (ICH Convention) and accredited as an observer of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) was founded in 1999 by University leavers led by Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki who is its current Executive Director and also the head of the Bafumambogo clan in Tooro region.

The organization was initially founded as a University student transition movement with a purpose of orienting university leavers to indigenous culture and community development work in Uganda.

The core programmes of the organization are Indigenous knowledge research and safeguarding heritage, development of youth talents and cultural enterprises, using culture to sensitise communities on gender, using culture to promote peace, using culture to promote tourism, using culture to safeguard the environment, promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and finally using culture to promote good governance.

Engabu Za Tooro Certificate

Currently, Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform) is implementing a UNESCO co-funded project aimed at revitalizing ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system in Uganda among the communities of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of Western Ugandaso as to enhance their capacities to transmit knowledge and skills to successive generations and to mobilise practitioners to revive the Empaako naming practice.

Empaako is naming system whereby in addition to a family and given name, a child is given a special name called Empaako selected from a fixed and closed list of 12 (twelve) Empaako names shared by the entire society and used as a declaration of respect, endearment or affection.

This practice has been shared and transmitted from generation to generation in Empaako communities of Batooro, Banyoro, Banyabindi, Basongora, Batuku, Batagwenda, Banyaruguru, Bagungu, Ba Nya Mboga and Baziba located in Western Uganda, Eastern DR Congo and Northern Tanzania respectively.

Engabu Za Tooro ED training clan leaders

However, the Empaako naming practice is facing threats of extinction mostly due to decline of its mother language (Runyoro - Rutooro), modernization, abandoning our traditional rituals, weakening cultural institutions, and attack from modern religious extremist denominations.