As a way of shaping society and protecting Uganda’s heritage against the western culture, the Executive Director Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU), Fredrick Nsibambi has appealed to all stakeholders to ensure promotion and documentation of the positive cultural taboos in the country.
The call was made during the 13th Annual Youth Cultural Heritage Awarding Ceremony held at the Buganda Heritage and Tourism Board in honor of young people who emerged winners in CCFU’s 2024 Youth Heritage Competition.
This year’s competition was organised under the theme “Culture and Taboos,” celebrating the creative interpretations of Uganda’s rich cultural heritage by young people.
“This year the competition focused on our taboos in various communities, we asked young people to look out in their cultures and tease out those taboos that are still relevant today and paint them. And we’ve used the paintings to produce the calendar for 2025, which we’ve just launched,” Nsibambi said.
Nsibambi said that the organisation focused on the taboos as things that are still relevant today that can contribute to the different development challenges that world is facing like child marriages, human rights, and irresponsible citizens.
“Because we have a lot of young people growing up irresponsibly. So it is these taboos that are supposed to bring them all the way because these are the do’s and don’ts of our societies and communities,” Nsibambi said.
The CCFU boss noted that, “As you grow up, you are told not to do certain things, for a number of reasons. You are told not to sit on a grinding stone, or grinding stone. You are told not to climb trees. You are told not to sweep at night. we looked at those taboos that are still useful today, especially among young people so that they become responsible citizens.”
He added that the good taboos should be documented and promoted especially those that are helping to shape the moral behaviors of young people.
Henry Ssemukasa, a Principal Education Officer who represented Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, State Minister for Higher Education appreciated CCFU for encouraging young people to become custodians of culture.
“It is very important to have our children get grounded in culture and heritage because all that we are doing now, all that will come in the future, really starts with what was there long ago,” Ssemakula said.
He added that, “For us in the Ministry we are proud that we are already doing so many things beyond teaching academics, we teach music, dance and drama and these are things that really have a lot of culture information.”
Daniel Muhulizi, a student at Mountains of the Moon University, took the top spot with his thought-provoking drawing illustrating the taboo that prohibits pregnancy before marriage in the Tooro culture. His artwork highlights the importance of respecting community norms while also sparking meaningful conversations around cultural heritage.
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