Engabu Za Tooro is now consolidating the achievements of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako project

Empaako naming ceremony among the Batuku community

Engabu Za Tooro is now consolidating the achievements of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako project through ongoing dissemination of the project results like Empaako book titled, “Ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system.”

The organization is also disseminating Empaako naming videos for the five Empaako communities of Batooro, Banyoro, Banyabindi, Batuku & Batagwenda which can be accessed on http://www.youtube.com/user/Engabuzatooro. Public meetings, online Empaako communities’ engagement and mobile exhibition of Empaako naming materials like books and videos is also ongoing throughout Empaako communities.

As part of efforts to document, promote and sustainably safeguard Empaako tradition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, Engabu Za Tooro is consolidating an already developed online Empaako platform which can be accessed on www.empaako.org. Engabu Za Tooro is consolidating the online Empaako platform through training members from Empaako communities to learn how to interact with the online system so that an engaged online Empaako network is expanded and strengthened which will create awareness on Empaako Intangible Cultural Heritage and also advocate for continued Empaako safeguarding.

Audio-visual studio which was a project that emerged out of a UNESCO co-funded Empaako project is currently documenting intangible cultural heritage of Empaako communities and training Empaako community members in audio-visual documentation skills to enable them sustainably safeguard their own heritage threatened with extinction through audio-visual documentation.

During the two year UNESCO co-funded project, ritual guides were organized and trained in safeguarding their heritage through documentation and dissemination and now Engabu Za Tooro is involved in strengthening and expanding a network of ritual guides to sustainably safeguard heritage of Empaako communities. The organization is also training more ritual guides from Empaako communities in documentation and dissemination of their heritage to enable them sustainably safeguard their heritage.

Engabu Za Tooro implemented a two year UNESCO co-funded project UGA 01210 titled, “Documentation and revitalization of ceremonies and practices associated with Empaako naming system in Uganda.” 

Engabu Za Tooro 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 Organization (WIPO).