“A year of applying skills and competencies for comprehensive documentation of people’s ceremonies, practices and folk expressions.” Stephen Rwagweri Atwoki
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| Stephen Rwagweri attending a global meeting in Togo |
“Tutemu Engaro self-help community fund” was launched at
community level and generated interesting lessons and new opportunities both at
community and international level.
Community resources like cows hitherto unknown to contributing
to project budget were raised and a group of good will ambassadors to speak for
a community fund among community members emerged. The drive led us to discover
an emerging discussion at international level of the community philanthropy
which seeks to change the perception of community members as mere receivers of
charity in the development practice which is targeting them. In the 2020 we
shall explore how we shall participate and contribute in this discussion at
international level, using our initiative as a case study.
Projects on improving traditional handcraft skills to produce
for the modern tastes, professionalizing performing artists and documenting
clan totems and linking safeguarding of their cultural values to preservation
of bio-diversity were developed and which will attract broad engagements with
potential partners in 2020. The program of safeguarding Koogere oral
tradition-an element which is inscribed on UNESCO’s Urgent Safeguarding List,
was also developed to kick off a dialogue on accessing funding priority in two
or three years time.
The year concluded a two years UNESCO co-funded project with
deliverables including: A master piece publication on naming rituals of the
five communities in western Uganda along with accompanying five video
productions. The CIOFF-Uganda, a chapter of International Council of
Organizations for Folk Arts and Festivals was launched by Prince Isaac Yamekue
from Cameroon who was the CIOFF President for Africa along with other delegates
representing country sections.
In the year under review, we went ahead with developing
professionals in the culture sector, beginning with the technical team at
office to process facilitators, community coordinators and documentation
operators and trainers. It was the most challenging undertaking but also
providing us with great lessons.
The operational
targets for 2020 in order of priority will include the following:
1.
Consolidating deliverables and results of the concluding
UNESCO-co-funded project UGA-01210 as back up material for resources
mobilization. This will include publishing brochure and documentary on the
project results and establishing mobile exhibition facilities for ongoing
dissemination in public activities and engaging relevant institutions for
reproduction of books and videos and their adoption as educational materials in
schools and non-formal educational programs.
2.
Following up and engaging UNESCO structures for the
prioritization of the developed safeguarding project of Koogere oral tradition.
3. Engaging several potential partners and customization of the
three developed projects as stated above.
4. Linking our initiative of community self-help fund to the
emerging international discussion on community philanthropy.
5. Consolidating the established CIOFF-Uganda section towards an
organization, which is independent of Engabu Za Tooro as a founding base.
Activities will focus more on project design, research and
writing than festivals and big workshops since 2020/2021 is expected to be a
busy electioneering period in Uganda.
2019 was indeed a year of results and we thank all our action
teams and partners and hope for continued support in the years ahead.
Stephen Rwagweri
Executive Director/ Lead Consultant
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