POETRY? MAYBE?

Daybreak  in Africa. Copyright 2017. Noonya.

POETRY IN UGANDA AND ELSEWHERE

The poetry of a community will reflect its stories, its rhythms and its joys and pains.
In Luganda, the main language spoken in Central Uganda,  poetry is called "Ebitontome", a direct translation into English could be 'those things that rhyme' as compared to songs that are called "Ennyimba" in Luganda. Most of the poems in the Luganda language have been orally recorded but some have been written down.

Among the Nanyankore and Banyarwanda, poetry is sometimes celebrated as " Ebyeevugo", These are usually tales and/or histories told in poetic form -similar to the ' Odyssey'  and 'The Iliad' by Homer of  the Greeks  and  to "The Tale of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge of England.

Poetry has been described in  the Oxford Dictionary as; "Literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature." (https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/poetry). Poetry is world wide.

 In this post, I will share some information and resources about poetry in Uganda.

UGANDA POETRY

Most of the poetry in Luganda and other Uganda languages is oral.
Recordings exist or songs that are actually poetry and of traditional rhymes and poetry in many places in Uganda if you look for them. The Uganda bookshop, the Makerere University library as well as the Languages departments would be good places to start looking.

In the written luganda  literature, one of the most famous poems in Luganda is the "Enfa Ya Matyansi Butyampa' poem by E K. N Kawere. He was a great writer and some of his books are listed and reviewed at the buganda website at http://www.buganda.com/bitabop1.htm#table.
Some of his poetry books are available in public libraries worldwide and can be borrowed if you have access to those libabries. One is titled "Ebitontome eby'a Makulu" Published by Nelson in Series; African literature collection ; no. 75, 1963.

https://search.library.wisc.edu/search/catalog/author?q=%22Kawere%2C+Edward+K.+N%22
 At Makerere Unviersity copies of the books should be available in the University library.

 Poems From East Africa

 

The Uganda Bookshop and other shops has a great book of poems; some of the best poets from the early post colonial East Africa are found in that book. A must have.
http://ugandabookshop.co.ug/home/288-poems-from-east-africa

FEMRITE

The African Saga by Susan Kiguli.

AFRICAN BOOK COLLECTIVE

Wondering and Wandering of Hearts Susan Kiguli and H Twongyeire Eds.
http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/wondering-and-wandering-of-hearts

SOOO MANY STORIES

Soo many stories have publshed the work of poet Kagayi Ngobi and you can order his book online at https://somanystories.ug/

Activities for Poetry

You can also go to the following places and listen to, participate in poetry in Kampala or buy books about Ugandan poetry;

Mondays

If you  enjoy reading poetry or writing poetry and other literature; you could visit or even join FEMRITE.  
FEMRITE have a Monday Readers Writers Club running from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at their offices in Bukoto Kira Road on the opposite side just before you reach the Kira Road Police Station. Be there in time to enjoy readings and discussions of poetry  and other written works, Mondays 5:30pm.

  

Bi weekly.; Lantern Meet of Poets 

They meet at the Uganda National Theater. Bi weekly

BUYING POETRY BOOKS

Everyday

Aristoc Bookshop, Uganda Bookshop and BookPoint at Bugolobi all have books on Poetry.

You can go buy books on poetry from Uganda on any day but particularly 

 Saturdays

The  Kampala Book Market is held at the Uganda Museum located office of the Uganda Society.
A very knowledgeable and pleasant young man called Kwizera runs that show. Many and varied books on poetry and other subjects are found there.

 Online

Other resources about poetry online include;
oetry Foundation
Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation 
Badilisha Poetry    ...and many others.

So if it so please you and by your own choice, you could go visit any and all of those places to learn and read about poetry. May be you could be inspired or could write  and publish some poetry yourself.

Till Next Time.


livingfieldsuganda.blogspot.com
email; noonyabooks@gmail.com

AMPING and REVAMPING;  INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, READING, EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELL-BEING, HEALTH, SAFETY, CREATIVITY, PRACTICALITY, SKILLS, DREAMS,  INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYs, , EXPERIENCES,COMMUNITY, SHARE, CONTRIBUTE, SERVE, UGANDA , GLOBAL

Living Fields Community and Health Initiatives, an organization in Uganda, is AMPING its activities to support more people and especially the young people in and out of Uganda to improve their well-being and to better their experiences as they grow, learn and journey.

In the next few months, in line with our objectives, we plan to publish on this forum/blog, more information, resources, discussions and activities aimed at helping communities in Uganda and elsewhere, to improve their KNOWLEDGE, READING and EDUCATION,  to improve their  SOCIAL well-being,  to be more HEALTHy and to help them be SAFEr and to inspire them to share  with and contribute to their communities in helpful ways.

We will aim to provide information, resources and activities to support or help people, and especially the youth,  to explore more and find more expression,  of their CREATIVE gifts and PRACTICAL SKILLS by providing as much factual information as possible that could be used to SUPPORT them  achieve their DREAMS on their INDIVIDUAL JOURNEYs and EXPERIENCES within and outside their COMMUNITYies. We aim to encourage ALL people to SHARE and CONTRIBUTE to society and to SERVE their communities. Hopefully making the world a better place for each and all.

Night in the Outside Lounge at the 'Source of the Smile Hotel', Jinja Uganda. .

The goal;  To contribute to a more authentic, fulfilled,  purposeful, inspired , healthy and caring life and community, in UGANDA and GLOBALly. 

Come join us on this re-energized journey.

Living Fields Community and Health Initiatives
livingfieldsuganda.blogspot.com

email;noonyabooks@gmail.com

Can You Overdose on Love or Should You?

An Overdose of Love?

A Conversation

I overheard a conversation between a teacher at a certain school and parents of an 11 year old during a teacher and parent meeting. The purpose of the meeting was for the teacher and the parents to review the child's  performance at school and the possible ways this could be improved.

Surprise from the Teacher

To my surprise, one of the remedies  she gave for improvement in performance was the need for the parents to hold off on loving their child too much!

When i heard it proposed, I said to myself. 
'This goes against all the teaching in medicine and healing and sociology. I had just read that persons with strong family bonds do not easily become drug addicts! Across the ages, the wise men and women had said the greatest of these was Love!  Can love be too much? Can too much love cause a child to do poorly in class?
I could not help myself. I joined the discussion. 

"What did you just say?  What does it mean?"
I asked the teacher.

She is Seeking for Attention

"Yes  Tracy seems to get too much love and attention from home and then she seeks the same attention at school."
The teacher said.

"Wow. The teacher even knows what happens at home?"  I thought.

"But that is not your focus..." I brought back my mind to the subject matter. "We are talking about love and attentive love". I told myself.

"Yes she gets too much of it"
Teacher persisted. She had it all worked out.

I turned to the parents. They had been put on the defensive.
'Oh no..We dont love her too much. We do not give her too much attention. She is the youngest but we do not love her too much."
The father said.

The mother was less talkative. Seemingly confused. Looking on without comment.

"Yes,  you need to reduce the attention you give to her at home. She is behaving like a baby.'
The teacher was now going full swing.

An Overdose of Love?

I could not stop myself. I turned to the 'teacher' and said.
"There is nothing like too much love. The parents should continue giving her all the attention she needs but just add discipline. Love can never be too much. Love at her young age is what she needs to overcome whatever challenges she is having and to be strong. She should also be taught discipline but she should also be loved a lot."
In my heart I was thinking; How can this teacher know how much attention this little girl receives at home?

The father added;

"Nobody has ever died of an overdose of love."


I turned back to my own business and left them to continue with the lady teacher.

When i walked past  the three of them later on my way out of my own meeting, I saw the teacher's hand interlaced with the mother's hand as they talked. The father of the little girl stood aside.

I wondered. 
"Who is this teacher that wants to hold hands with a mother but tells her to ration the love and attention she gives to her own little girl?" Was it not for the teacher to seek to bond with the child so that the child could learn better? Why did she seem to want to bond with the mother instead? 
Many questions.

Was she really a trained teacher?  If so, is this what she was taught in teacher training school? I started to think that maybe it was the teacher who needed the attention and not the little girl? 

As I walked away, I thought. 
We have many great teachers but many primary school teachers in Uganda need a lot of training. A lot.

May God save all little children from such teachers. As I went away i thought of what the father had said;

Nobody has ever died of an overdose of love. 
In fact the opposite is true.

A Policeman at Kakinzi

Drive Carefully on the Smooth but Narrow Roads

Recently we are driving on the road North from Kampala, the road is smooth and lovely, the grass on the side green and restful. Like most roads in Uganda, roads are two way and cars bypass each other in opposite directions.  Large trucks, taxis, small cars all vie for the fairly big road. The road seems generally sufficient until a big trailer is driving in front of you.  Then you realize that you cannot overtake because the road though smooth is too narrow to allow three cars alongside each other.  At a long lonely stretch between two towns I speed up and enjoy the cruise. Hurtling Gaa-Gaa buses long forgotten, the sun falling gently on the road. The sunshine is gently warm on my windscreen and has not yet shown her full December strength. As I speed up I see a traffic policeman standing in the far disctance. Immediately I check my speed to see if I am  over-speeding.

I then draw closer to that policeman and suddenly realise that he is not a policeman after all but a poster! He is a paper policeman. I like this paper policeman.

Paper Policeman

Paper Policeman at Kakinzi on the Nakasongola-Kampala Stretch. Copyright Noonya (U)Ltd.

I like him so much i stop and take a picture of him. I like him because he cannot give me a ticket but at the same time he makes me think of driving better and safer. I like him because he made me smile when i realized he was made out of paper. He looked so real. His bike reds 'safeway rightway'..hmmm. What does that mean?

Safeway Rightway; Making a Difference on the Roads

Once at home, I read up about this group that set up this cheering but serious paper policeman. They sound interesting.  I found out they are called Safeway Rightway;  www.swrw.org. http://www.swrw.org/  
The organization works all over East Africa to reduce the road carnage and the wastage  of beautiful human lives on East Africa's roads.

That very morning we had been witnesses at the scene of a horrible accident.   A full truck of bananas coming from Luwero to Nakasongola had overturned on a slope along the main road.

 Accident Site

Lorry carrying Bananas overturned across Luwero Nakasongola Road. Saturday  13/12/204.  Copyright. Noonya(U) Ltd

Two men were badly injured in the crash and a third lost his life. May his soul rest in peace. Living traffic policemen were trying to salvage men from the wreckage, loading them onto vehicles to transport them to the hospital. Though we sadly noted the lack of ambulances, the presence of the many helping policemen was a great relief.  

After driving away from that sad scene, seeing the paper policeman an hour later was a serious but cheerful reminder that we needed to drive carefully on this smooth but dangerous road. 

It is commendable that many individuals, the police, organizations like Safeway Rightway and community leaders are trying to reduce the carnage on our roads.

 Let each of us do our part by driving carefully, especially in the Festive season.

Have yourself a very Happy Christmas.

Tennessee Williams and Kungu Rock; Gentleness is a Force for Good

Copyright Noonya (U) Ltd.

 Kungu Rock, in Kyadondo, Buganda is found in Wakiso District, Uganda.  Kungu rock is a big rock that has stood the test of time. The rock has several plants and a large tree growing on it. Some thousands of years down the road and it may be no more or will probably seem more like a hill to the people of the time. We will not be here to tell the story but we enjoy its beauty now. Meanwhile the grass and the flowers will win it over the rock. It is just a matter of time.

A man finds you waiting patiently at a road junction for a gap to turn into the main road.  He quickly overtakes you and makes a rude sign that says 'you don't know what you are doing on the road'.
You think of signing back at that man or at least feel the urge to shout back. But wait; remember that gentleness is a gift to you and to the world. It is easy to shout back when angered but shouting back with rudeness usually does little good except to leave you upset and flustered. Meanwhile the trouble maker floats on happily in his cloud of negativity. Leaving you with a headache.  So,  go against your instincts of anger.  Don't shout back. Remember as Tennessee Williams said that 'The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks". Be the violet. Break the rock.

Stay Steady.

Wisdom

                                                                             Mombasa Whitesands Beach © 2014 Noonya(u) Ltd.

The fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

Indeed,  the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Every time we think we know it all, life throws us a curve that points us to someone greater, something more, than just you and me and the powers that be.

May each one of us become more wise day by day on this beautiful earth and great world within which we live and move.  May we also add to the peace of all those that walk near us and live around and with us by being kind to ourselves, to them and to the environment.

Norah

Do you Want to take a Boda Boda Ride in Uganda? Think Twice.

A Boda-Boda Ride a Day Keeps the Doctor Closeby.

Most people in Uganda have taken a  boda-boda (motorbike taxi) ride at some point or the other. Some do it daily.  Most take boda- bodas because they are in a hurry. In many cases, the act of taking a boda-boda ride in Kampala may be the worst choice you may make about your physical health.  The risk may rank up there with engaging in a sexual relationship without knowing your partner's HIV status and may be similar to or worse than drinking unboiled water in Kampala. If you plan to take bodas regularly, also plan to spend some time in hospitals and clinics.

Overloaded Boda Boda.  Photo;africancrowds.org

 Taking a boda boda ride in Kampala is transforming yourself into the next-accident-waiting-to-happen.

Most people do not realize that a boda boda ride turns you into the car-frame or body of that  boda-boda.  In addition, the boda-boda driver may care much less about your life than a car fender would  and has little choice in it. Many a  boda-boda driver has braked suddenly, had their client fall off the bike and sped away very fast from the scene. Most boda-boda drivers would not hesitate to expose you to harm and save their own skin. The boda-boda driver will likely  not warn you of any danger ahead and in Kampala, he does not obey traffic lights or any such rules. He competes with other drivers whether in large or small cars or trailers.  He will expose you to unnecessary danger.  Meanwhile he has a helmet and you don't. Basically, taking a boda boda ride in Kampala is transforming yourself into the next -accident-waiting-to-happen.


A few suggestions...


So what can one do to avoid boda bodas in Kampala? I have a few suggestions;

Taxi

1. Take a regular taxi instead. This means have to wake up in time to get to the taxi stop and estimate an extra 20 minutes for your journey time to wherever you are going. This is because taxis usually delay as they wait to pick extra passengers to make more money.  The more passengers they take, the better. Makes sense.  If you are getting late you can suggest to pay  for the extra place (maybe 1000 shillings) for the person so the taxi does stop and you can be in better time for your appointment. It would be safer than getting out to take a boda.Definitely safer.

Special Hire Taxi

2. Another thing you could do is hire a special hire taxi for the extra mile you usually  take the boda for  (where the majority of taxis stop). This may be a bit expensive and may include some risk but the expense can be reduced if you share the ride with a friend who lives on your side of town. The risk can be further reduced too if you always call someone and tell them the name of the dr youiver have taken the special ride with (make this call aloud and make sure the special taxi guy hears you as you do). Or use the same special hire driver  that all of you and your family know.  Call your family before you get into the car.

Walk

3. Another suggestion is to walk; the benefits of walking cannot be overemphasized. If you have a mile long journey to your home from where the taxis stop, you can walk that distance home. Walking good for weight loss. It is also good for your heart's health and it is good for your thought processes as people tend to think better and even get ideas when we are walking.  Of course,  make sure that the time and place are safe for walking.

Run

4. Run; Use the distance from your usual boda-boda stage as a  jogging route. This can be easier in the evening as you will arrive all sweaty and head straight for a shower at home. It is very healthy and fulfilling and will definitely make you healthier. Pace yourself and don't overstrain as you jog. You are not in a marathon, you are just replacing your risky boda boda ride with a jog. Say hallo to the people you pass on your jog.  In our Uganda, i would not advise putting earphones on or running to music on a techno, ipod,  kabiriiti or whatever.Uganda has very few places with sidewalks and it is likely you may be knocked by another boda-boda if you on the sidewalks if you are not alert.  So, please desist from blocking your ears if you can as you jog in Uganda.


When all Else Fails, Take a Boda

5. When all else fails, take a boda... but not before all else has failed. Sometimes you have an emergency and have to rush home to pick up a sick child, to rush to hospital or for that interview.  When you do take that inevitable boda-boda, you could tell the boda-boda driver that,  one you are an old woman or man but just look young and that all the earnings of your home depend on you. That this is the first boda ride you have taken in years.  That if he drives fast you are likely to throw up on him as you may have motion sickness and that if he is very careful and delivers you safely you will be very grateful. Otherwise avoid boda-bodas.





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