Abafumambogo clan head asks Tooro clans to emulate the Abazira clan

Stephen Rwagweri speaking

The head of the Abafumambogo clan Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki has appealed to clans of Tooro to emulate Abazira clan because of their enormous contribution to the safeguarding and revitalization of Uganda culture.

While giving a key note address at the annual Abazira clan meeting on Friday, 27^th December, 2019 at the home of Edmond Manyindo in Kyenjojo district Rwagweri who is also Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director and CIOFF Uganda president indicated that members of the Abazira clan contributed massively in the inscription of both Empaako and Koogere oral traditions on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage”.

“In the implementation of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako safeguarding and revitalization project through documentation, members of the Abazira clan also contributed massively because even the film on the performance of Empaako naming ceremony among the Batooro community was filmed at the home of the head of the Abazira clan Mr. Tadeo Balisanga,” Said Rwagweri

According to the head of the Abafumambogo clan, Tooro heritage can only be safeguarded and revitalized only through such community self-help contributions because without community self-help contributions, Koogere and Empaako oral traditions would never be inscribed on UNESCO’s list.

Stephen Rwagweri with the head of Abazira clan

Rwagweri also appreciated members of the Abazira clan for holding regular clan meetings and encouraged other clans to adapt the Abazira clan model because regular clan meetings ensures proper upbringing of children, ensures education of children based on Tooro culture, ensures safeguarding of clan ancestral places.

Regular clan meetings encourages clan members to uplift their livelihoods through promoting a culture of self-reliance and promotes a culture of self-documentation of clan traditions.

Clan meetings also promotes regular performance of traditional rituals and ceremonies like Empaako naming ceremony, helps clan members to know each other and strengthens clan institutions.

Currently, the Abafumambogo clan head who is also Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director is spearheading the implementation of a UNESCO co-funded Project which focuses on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices in Uganda.

Empaako naming ceremony video filmed at the home of the head of the Abazira clan 

Abafumambogo clan head appeals to clan and family heads to organize regular meetings

Stephen Rwagweri speaking

Abafumambogo clan head who is also the Executive Director Engabu Za Tooro Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki has appealed to clan and family heads to regularly meet to enable clan and family members strengthen their weakening clan and family institutions.

Rwagweri who is also the CIOFF Uganda president was speaking yesterday (Friday, 27^th December, 2019) at the Abafumambogo clan meeting held at the home of Arthur Mutabazi in Kiryagonya village in Hakibaale Sub County, Kabarole district. The Abafumambogo clan meeting was attended by hundreds of Abafumambogo clan members mostly from Hakibaale Sub County.

“When family or clan members come together, they think together and act together for the development of their communities and the meetings can be at family, lineage and clan levels.” Said Rwagweri.

The Abafumambogo clan head indicated that regular clan or family meetings will ensure proper upbringing of children based on Tooro culture, ensure education of children, ensures safeguarding of family land, family burial sites and ancestral places.

Stephen Rwagweri in a group photo

Regular clan and family meetings encourage family or clan members to uplift their livelihoods through promoting a culture of self-reliance, promotes a culture of self-documentation of the family or clan traditions to ensure they are safeguarded for generations.

Clan and family meetings also promotes regular performance of traditional rituals and ceremonies like Empaako naming ceremony, helps clan or family members know each other and strengthen family and clan institutions.

Currently, the Abafumambogo clan head who is also Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director is spearheading the implementation of a UNESCO co-funded Project which focuses on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices in Uganda.

Watch the video of the Abafumambogo clan anthem 

Listen to the audio of the Abafumabogo clan anthem 

A book on ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system

Empaako naming among the Batuku community

This book presents a comprehensive documentation in form of text, transcription and photography of the Empaako naming system.

The first chapter introduces five bearer communities of Empaako naming system which have been covered by this research and two chapters that follow bring out the definition, interpretations, translations and theories of the origin of Empaako naming system as a cultural practice.

Chapters four and five dwell on description, preparations and performances of Empaako naming rituals and ceremonies and explanation of the underlying spirituality and social philosophy in five Empaako naming communities.

Chapter six expands on the social functions of Empaako names in daily life of the bearers in the interactions with the immediate others in the context of the culture within its community and society. The underlying final meaning and interpretation is also explained.

Both the risks and threats of the entire Empaako practice in the context of the changing religious, social and economic contexts are explained in chapter seven which also articulates the safeguarding measures being undertaken and their emerging results.

Empaako naming among the Banyoro community

This documentation which is also presented in audio-visual formats has reclaimed the hither to disappearing complex knowledge about Empaako practice and especially its attendant naming rituals and ceremonies and their spiritual and moral meanings and interpretations. The documentation which has been done with massive participation of the bearers, practitioners, custodians and stakeholders has edited the details of the practice especially on naming rituals and perceived meaning in the details of the practical use of Empaako names, in order to adapt the practice to the changing social, economic and religious context of communities. The enduring values, meaning and practices in this heritage have been consolidated and promoted while the meanings and actions that have been outlived by time and the changing contexts have not been given much emphasis. Such meanings and actions practiced by some families which have been edited out included those that can be mistaken not to be compliant with fundamental human rights as enshrined in international instruments, those actions which the changing economic and structural contexts render them unpractical and those, actions and meaning which set a sharp conflict with the changing religious context from traditional religions to the emerging modern religions where most of the Empaako bearers are irreversibly moving.

The overall objective of the documentation was to improve the viability of Empaako practice by reclaiming the disappearing knowledge, promoting enduring values and removing distortions so that Empaako naming system as a cultural practice is conveniently transmitted by its bearers to successive generations.

Currently Engabu Za Tooro is implementing a UNESCO co-funded Project UGA 01210 which focuses on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices in Uganda.

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Engabu Za Tooro delegation meets the former Columbia beauty queen -- discuss preservation of heritage of indigenous communities in Africa

Stephen Rwagweri with former Miss Columbia

Engabu Za Tooro UNESCO delegation on Friday, 13^th December, 2019 met the former Miss Columbia Ms. Vanessa Mendoza at the Agora Convention Centre in Bogota and discussed the preservation and safeguarding heritage of indigenous communities in Africa.

Vanessa Mendoza who held the Miss Colombia title in 2001 – 2002 grew up in poverty. Her father died when she was still young, leaving her mother to care for the family. Despite the poor conditions the family endured, Vanessa showed early interest in becoming a model, and began pursuing that career until she became the first Black Miss Colombia.

According to the head of the UNESCO delegation, Stephen Rwagweri “the meeting with the former Columbia beauty queen will increase funding for projects aimed at safeguarding and preserving and revitalising  the cultures of indigenous communities across the African continent since the beauty queen has a lot of influence among the wealthy celebrities in America”  

UNESCO delegates at the Uganda exhibition stall

Engabu Za Tooro UNESCO delegation are Deo Katekere Rubongoya, Sylivia Catherine Nyangoma and Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director and CIOFF Uganda President Stephen Rwagweri who is the head of the delegation.

The 14^th ICH IGC UNESCO session is taking place between 8^th – 14^th December, 2019 and 156 countries have been represented across the world.

The 14^thsession of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Columbia has attracted hundreds of people from across the world who include ministers of culture from all over the world, UNESCO ambassadors, culture experts, artists and funding bodies in the field of arts and culture among others.

Currently Engabu Za Tooro is implementing a UNESCO co-funded Project UGA 01210 which focuses on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices in Uganda.

Engabu Za Tooro delegation meets international delegates to discuss culture

Engabu Za Tooro delegate with Japan Ambassador

Engabu Za Tooro UNESCO delegation who are currently attending a UNESCO global meeting in Bogota, Columbia yesterday Wednesday, 11^th December, 2019 met international delegates to discuss culture and showcase Uganda culture.

Engabu Za Tooro UNESCO delegation are Deo Katekere Rubongoya, Sylivia Catherine Nyangoma and Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director and CIOFF Uganda President Stephen Rwagweri who is the head of the delegation.

Some of the international delegates met were UNESCO ambassadors, ministers of culture, culture experts, UNESCO diplomats and funding bodies in the field of arts and culture.

According to the head of Engabu Za Tooro UNESCO delegation, Stephen Rwagweri, the international delegates promised to develop and implement policies which will safeguard intangible oral traditions threatened with extinction like indigenous languages, Empaako and Koogere oral traditions.

Stephen Rwagweri at the UNESCO global meeting

Rwagweri adds “International delegates promised to allocate more funding to projects aimed at safeguarding intangible cultural heritage threatened with extinction especially in developing countries in Sub Sahara Africa”

Engabu Za Tooro UNESCO delegation has already submitted a final report and audio – visual materials on the implementation of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako project and is exhibiting Uganda culture at Agora International Convention Centre where the UNESCO global meeting is taking place.

Engabu Za Tooro delegates with an international delegate

The 14^th ICH IGC UNESCO session is taking place between 8^th – 14^th December, 2019 and 156 countries have been represented across the world.

The 14^thsession of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Columbia has attracted hundreds of people from across the world who include ministers of culture from all over the world, UNESCO ambassadors, culture experts, artists and funding bodies in the field of arts and culture among others.

Currently Engabu Za Tooro is implementing a UNESCO co-funded Project UGA 01210 which focuses on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices in Uganda.

Rubongoya family exhibit their cultural materials at the UNESCO global meeting in Columbia

Audio-visual exhibition in Bogota

The family of the Late L.T Rubongoya today (Tuesday, 10^th December, 2019) exhibited their cultural materials including backcloth, audio-visual materials and books at the global UNESCO meeting at Agora Conference Centre in Bogota, Columbia located on the South American continent.

The 14^th ICH IGC UNESCO session is taking place between 8^th – 14^th December, 2019 and 156 countries have been represented across the world.

Uganda is the only African country showcasing its culture of Empaako communities to the world at the UNESCO global meeting represented by Engabu Za Tooro delegates. Engabu Za Tooro big exhibition stall filled with the state of the art conference screens with films of Uganda rituals, dances and folk expressions.  Other communities exhibiting at the UNESCO global meeting are communities from Latin American, Noth America, Europe, Caribbean, Australasia and Asian communities.

Rubongoya family exhibition in Columbia

The two members of the Late L.T Rubongoya family who were selected to represent Uganda are Deo Katekere Rubongoya (heir to the Late L.T Rubongoya) and Sylivia Catherine Nyangoma (daughter to the Late L.T Rubongoya).

Executive Director Engabu Za Tooro and CIOFF Uganda President Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki is also attending the UNESCO global meeting to submit a final report and audio – visual materials on the implementation of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako project aimed at documenting and revitalizing Empaako naming rituals and practices among Uganda Empaako communities.

Engabu Za Tooro recognized the work of the Late L.T Rubongoya in safeguarding and promoting Tooro culture especially Tooro language and supported two members of his family to attend a UNESCO global meeting in Bogota, Columbia so as to encourage them continue with the work of Late L.T Rubongoya.

The late Dr. L. T. Rubongoya Atwoki published many books in Runyoro – Rutooro like Runyoro – Rutooro english dictionary (Katondogorozi), Naaho Nubo book (The ways of our ancestors), Modern Runyoro Rutooro Grammar, Linda Engeso n’orulimi rw’Ihanga, Kibbaate Kya Kaseegu, Yega kusoma n’okuhandiika Orunyoro-Rutooro Omulingo ogundi and Scripted countless folk plays among others.

In the global UNESCO meeting, delegates from across the world will stand for a minute and raise their country’s flags to recognize the work of the Late L.T Rubongoya in safeguarding Tooro culture and language.  

Some of UNESCO delegates in Columbia

The works of the Late Dr. L.T Rubongoya publications, Tutemu Engaro contributions book will also be submitted to UNESCO which will allow them to be showcased at the UNESCO exhibition centre for five days.

The 14^thsession of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Columbia will attract hundreds of people across the world who will include ministers of culture from all over the world, UNESCO ambassadors, culture experts, artists and funding bodies in the field of arts and culture among others.

Currently Engabu Za Tooro is implementing a UNESCO co-funded Project UGA 01210 which is on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices.

Fort Portal MP flags off UNESCO delegates

Members of Rubongoya family being flagged off

The MP Fort Portal Municipality, Hon. Alex Ruhunda on Friday, 6^th December, 2019 flagged off delegates going to attend a UNESCO global meeting to be held on 9^th to 14^th December, 2019 in Bogota, Columbia – South America. Hon. Ruhunda flagged off the delegates with a Uganda flag and encouraged them to make Uganda proud by showcasing Uganda culture to the world.

The delegates who were flagged off in Kampala are the two members of the Late L.T Rubongoya family who are Deo Katekere Rubongoya and Sylivia Catherine Nyangoma

Engabu Za Tooro recognized the work of the Late L.T Rubongoya in safeguarding and promoting Tooro culture especially Tooro language and supported two members of his family to attend a UNESCO global meeting in Bogota, Columbia so as to encourage them continue with the work of Late L.T Rubongoya.

The late Dr. L. T. Rubongoya Atwoki published many books in Runyoro – Rutooro like Runyoro – Rutooro english dictionary (Katondogorozi), Naaho Nubo book (The ways of our ancestors), Modern Runyoro Rutooro Grammar, Linda Engeso n’orulimi rw’Ihanga, Kibbaate Kya Kaseegu, Yega kusoma n’okuhandiika Orunyoro-Rutooro Omulingo ogundi and Scripted countless folk plays among others.

In the global UNESCO meeting, delegates from across the world will stand for a minute and raise their country’s flags to recognize the work of the Late L.T Rubongoya in safeguarding Tooro culture and language.   

Rungoya family being handed a Uganda flag at a recent event in Fort Portal

The works of the Late Dr. L.T Rubongoya publications, Tutemu Engaro contributions book will also be submitted to UNESCO which will allow them to be showcased at the UNESCO exhibition centre for five days.

Executive Director Engabu Za Tooro and CIOFF Uganda President Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki will also be attending the UNESCO global meeting to submit a final report and audio – visual materials on the implementation of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako project aimed at documenting and revitalizing Empaako naming rituals and practices among the five communities

The 14^thsession of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of the Republic of Columbia will attract hundreds of people across the world who will include ministers of culture from all over the world, UNESCO ambassadors, culture experts, artists and funding bodies in the field of arts and culture among others.

Currently Engabu Za Tooro is implementing a UNESCO co-funded Project UGA 01210 which is on documentation and revitalization of Empaako naming rituals and practices.

African Folklore performed live at an Engabu Za Tooro event in Fort Portal - Uganda

L.T Rubongoya family receiving the national flag

Engabu Za Tooro has held a live performance of African Folklore at Koi Koi Cultural Centre in Fort Portal – Uganda which was aimed at using traditional African folklore to safeguard and revitalize African heritage especially those threatened with extinction like Empaako and Koogere Intangible Oral Traditions and indigenous languages.

During the same event, Empaako book titled “Ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system” was officially launched by Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki who is also the President of CIOFF Uganda appealed to Empaako communities to embrace the Tutemu Engaro Self-Help Cultural Fund to sustainably safeguard heritage threatened with extinction.

Rwagweri adds, “In the empaako naming ceremony films, the Batuku community showcased the best in terms of the traditional wear, preparing traditional meals, performance of Empaako naming rituals and traditional shelter.” 

Tutemu Engaro Self-Help Cultural Fund tools were also launched by Engabu Za Tooro Board Chairperson Msgr. Peter Kumaraki Araali. The tools were the Tutemu Engaro contributions book and Tutemu Engaro Basket where individuals and communities contributed to Tutemu Engaro.

Laurence Kawamara contributing to Tutemu Engaro

Some of the individuals, families, clans and communities who contributed to the Tutemu Engaro are Omugurusi Epafura Mugasa, Kawamara Laurence contributing UGX 200,000 for the Abagweri clan, Abachaaki clan, Bingi Fred of Runyoro – Rutooro Foundation, Abazira clan, Abasingo clan, Abaitira clan, Abasumbi clan, Akaracwa Omuhoro women’s cultural group, Abanyabindi community and Abatuku community among others.

The event which was attended by hundreds of people from across Empaako communities also exhibited cultural materials and books like traditional tools used in the Empaako naming ceremony and books on culture and books written in the languages of Empaako communities like Naaho Nubo and Katondogorozi among others which were written and published by the Late L.T Rubongoya Atwoki. 

The delegation which will represent Empaako communities to attend the UNESCO global meeting in Bogota in the Republic of Columbia – South America from 9^th to 14^th December, 2019 was also commissioned who are Engabu Za Tooro Executive Director, Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki and two representatives from the family of the Late L.T Rubongoya Atwoki who are Rubongoya Deo Katekere and Ms. Sylivia Catherine Nyangoma. 

Master Kalenzi performing African Folklore

While speaking at the event, the heir to the late L.T Rubongoya, Mr. Rubongoya Deo Katekere thanked Engabu Za Tooro for giving the Rubongoya family an opportunity to showcase the work of the late L.T Rubongoya to the world.

African folklore was performed by Engabu Za Tooro Cultural Troupe, the family of late L.T Rubongoya, Master Kalenzi from the Basongora community, Abatuku cultural troupe, Abanyabindi cultural troupe, Emango Cultural Troupe and Kahwa Kansengerwa.

Engabu Za Tooro is currently implementing a UNESCO co-funded project aimed at revitalizing and safeguarding the practice of the Empaako naming system through community self-documentation.