“We need to put emphasis on culture to develop or we happily disappear,” Prof. Ndoleriire Ateenyi

Rwagweri Stephen (standing) facilitating the training

The Makerere University Professor of languages Oswald Ndoleriire Ateenyi has appealed to Empaako communities to put emphasis on culture to develop, “countries that have developed like China, India and France have put a lot of emphasis on promoting their very own culture,” Said Prof. Ndoleriire.

Ndoleriire who is also also a patron of Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) which is an indigenous Uganda community organization using a cultural approach to development also appealed to Empaako communities of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batagwenda, Batuku, Basongora and Banyabindi to put into action the knowledge and skills gained from the 10 day residential training organized by Engabu Za Tooro to safeguard their own intangible cultural heritage like Empaako and Koogere intangible oral traditions.

“What you have learnt is very important because many Uganda communities don’t put a lot of emphasis on promoting their very own culture apart from the Buganda community. Uganda government also doesn’t care in safeguarding the traditions of their communities unlike in developed countries like China, France and India in-terms of funding to cultural activities and culture is just a very small department in the Uganda ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development,” Said Prof. Ndoleriire

Prof. Oswald Ndoleriire (standing) speaking at the training

Prof. Ndoleriire adds, “developed countries like China, India and France have independent government ministries responsible for safeguarding their very own culture unlike Uganda.”

While speaking on Friday 24^th August, 2018 at the Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) organized 10 days residential training on documentation of intangible cultural heritage at Fort Breeze Hotel, Fort Portal – Uganda,  Prof. Ndoleriire indicated that if Uganda communities continue to abandon their culture, they might ‘happily’ disappear citing the examples of Batooro and Banyoro communities.

Some of the prticipants at the training

“Statistics indicate that communities which were once strong like Banyoro and Batooro are slowly and happily disappearing because they have abandoned their traditions like indigenous languages and performing their traditional rituals,”   Said Prof. Ndoleriire Ateenyi.

To safeguard intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding like Empaako and Koogere intangible oral traditions, Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action) is already involved in training book writers, creative writers, professional videographers, professional photographers, visual artists, sculptors, song writers, composers, poets, ritual leaders, herbalists, presenters of cultural programs on electronic media, vernacular teachers and translators among others from the Empaako communities to document their intangible cultural heritage.

A profile photo of the training

The documentation and capacity building trainings has benefited communities among theBatooro, Banyoro, Banyabindi, Basongora, Batuku, Batagwenda, Banyaruguru and Ba Nya Mboga in Western Uganda and Eastern DR Congo respectively for a UNESCO co-funded project aimed at revitalizing ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system in Uganda.