I never thought we would come to a day where young people appreciate their culture and are willing to flaunt and celebrate it. Culture was regarded as ancient or local by some. Such a shame really! Going abroad makes you realise how some people are boxed in their cultural beliefs. This makes you appreciate where you are from. It pains me to the core that I was once among those people that thought speaking better English than my mother tongue was indeed cool. At this moment, I would gladly unlearn any English syllable and grammar in exchange for any word in my mother tongue. Culture sinks deep. It is about you and me. It forms the fabric of anything you aspire for. Your beliefs are premised on something as simple as culture.
Over the last years, I am glad to have seen the emergence of events such as Bakiga Nation and Ekitaramo, celebrating Bakiga and Ankole culture. Knowing the guys behind such initiatives, you are drawn by their love and passion for their culture. Kudos to you Owen Bigombe and Apollo Timbie for making culture the thing.The Bakiga Nation is full force, a movement of sorts for Bakiga around Uganda and judging by the numbers that have shown up at their previous events, you can tell the power of unity.You feel a strong attachment, a genuine love for Bakiga culture.
I am sure we can pick a tree branch from these initiatives. If you are proud of your hood, maybe you are the chosen person to make people wake up to it. A lot of the bickering that we see among ourselves is because we lack a common voice.It does not matter if you are Acholi, Karimojong or whatever, you can bring your people together. There is nothing worse than being there, no background, no cultural values you identify yourself to. Bring that swag from MTV Base into your culture. Culture can be a lot cooler than you think. Dig deep. As you descend into your villages, take your time with your grannies. A word from them could change your whole outlook on life.
The problem is you kids think your grannies smell like pests. Do not be mean. Hug your grandma and let her take you on a journey down memory lane. Otherwise, have a great weekend guys.
