Developing innovations like Ewaffe Cultural Village is more imperative than ever as the struggle to save and preserve culture and heritage in Uganda continues to be frustrated by modernity and its dynamics, Mr. Anthony Wamala, Buganda Kingdom Minister for Heritage, Palaces, Tombs, Tourism and Security has said.
The Minister made the remarks on Monday during his official visit to Ewaffe Cultural Village in Naggalama – Mukono where he commended the work done, emphasizing that whereas modernity can’t be done away with, culture should not be overridden by the ideals of the new ways of life.
“Our culture got scattered with the advent of colonialism but even after getting independence, our people continued to embrace the modern ways of life and somehow started regarding everything cultural as backward. Because of that, some of the children born in the current generation have no knowledge of what cultural practices are or what they meant to our fore fathers. The only way to bring back this beautiful era is to have a one stop center where children can experience these things,” Mr. Wamala said.
He noted that unless establishments like the Ewaffe cultural village continue to preserve traditional household items, dances, herbs and practices, they are bound to go extinct and if fortunate, newer generations will only read about them like tales or myths.
Mr. Wamala was accompanied by Mr. Albert Kasozi, the Executive Director Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board, Mr. Najib Nsubuga, Principal Research and Culture for Buganda Kingdom and other staff from the Board.
According to the Minister, the visit was prompted by his own idea to create such a cultural village.
“I have been in office for seven months now and creating a one stop cultural village has been an idea that I so badly wanted to see come to life. I hadn’t heard about Ewaffe and upon consultation, I learnt that my idea wasn’t that much of an uncharted territory after all. I told Najib to take me to that village and here we are. I am impressed by the cleanliness of this place, the tour guides who have taken us through the different sessions and activities but most of all, I am glad that our culture is being preserved for future generations to have,” he said.
In a bid to present the century-old traditions and norms of the indigenous Ugandan people, in this contemporary era, Ewaffe Cultural Village set out to create a center that embodies the life dynamics of a traditional Buganda homestead- offering visitors a traditional feel of Uganda.
Ewaffe Cultural Village CEO Ms. Aisha Mayanja noted that they have been receiving visitors both foreign and domestic who marvel at the activities done during the tour such as visiting the well and fetching water with clay pots, tasting indigenous fruits, taking part in making of banana juice, food preparation, competing in traditional games, the exciting ‘senga’ and ‘kojja’ sessions and fishing at the ponds among others.
“Just recently we had visitors from Germany who were blown away by the delicious taste of our local food, particularly the Luwombo. These guys sat there all evening savoring the tender chicken and once they had had their fill, they asked if there is a way we can export the cuisine. These are some of our sough-after offers for tourists at Ewaffe,” Mayanja said.
READ: Ewaffe Cultural Village Boosting Tourism Through Tradition, Community Tours
She added that for a culture that is being eroded by the day, getting the young school children to visit the cultural village is a great input towards culture and heritage preservation – one of the ideals of her innovation.
While making his remarks, Mr. Nsubuga noted that the cultural village is a perfect example of how culture can be preserved since it draws in various categories of people including school children who get a chance to learn about the practices earlier on.
“If we have people that come out to reinvigorate the Buganda culture and heritage norms and make people understand them in a better way is something we all feel proud about and I think it deserves all the support,” Mr. Nsubuga said.
Way forward on growth and expansion
Minister Wamala noted that the center has exhibited tremendous growth having started just last year in July. He emphasized, however, that while funds might not be easy to get and make huge developments, the team should utilize the power of partnerships to grow.
“You have look at expanding this idea through partnerships with the locals because you can’t do it all by yourself. If there are people who can start poultry keeping so that they supply the center, partner with them. I am also going to support you so that Ewaffe Cultural Village grows into the center that I envisioned and still want,” Mr. Wamala said.
He pledged support from the Kingdom to ensure that the center serves its purpose without a hitch.
Among the proposed ventures include packaging of the indigenous herbs that are grown at the center for tourists to access easily. So, for your next visit to Ewaffe you will probably find an assortment of well packaged medicinal herbs, tea spices among others.