The young boys drive cattle to the communal grazing ground down the swamps along river Malawa. Down the communal grazing ground is full of fun and lessons; fishing, small game hunting, bird trapping, bull fights, young lads wrestling and fighting, name it!. The young girls helping their mothers and grand mothers with house chores and can afford to relax for water points have moved nearer, queuing and long waiting are no more. Papoli village has 7 borehole wells drilled over the last 3 years with financial assistance from partners in Mission from Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida.
The village elders gather around pots of “kongo”, which is favorite local brew made of millet flour and yeast fermented; tubes measuring one yard+, with sieve at the end are used for seeping. That talk of the village is about special Christmas gifts from America; locally code named; “Christmas the American way”! The village folks are still asking as to what they are or they did to deserve such great Christmas gifts that never in life had they even dreamt of. Houses, Cows, goats, mattresses, mosquito nets, blankets, furniture, citrus and mangoes seedlings, sauce pans, cloths..name it.
But the hot village news is of one widow of over 80 years who lost her three sons and one daughter to AIDS her name is Mini Atenge. She is looking after 13 orphans of the ages 3-15 years. Fortunately she is one of the beneficiaries of Christmas Africa gifts from Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, Tampa Florida. No sooner did the builders put the tin roof over the structure than she just started living in the “house”.
Her argument being that since her childhood she had never slept in a tin roofed and above all she wants to demonstrate how grateful she is to Jesus for the wonderful Christmas gift. She even went ahead and said that for the first time she has real seen Jesus being born!. When challenged that it might not be safe for her to sleep in a structure in such a state not completed, she responded by saying that; “Since the house has been built for me by Jesus, then it is the best and safest to live in for unless He builds a house, the builders are not doing anything worthy”. It also seems that at the back of her mind she had another sound reason, that she might die before she sleeps in her new house and other clan members, as the practice has been, may grab the house from her grand children who cannot resist.
But what is a “House” (Oti) in the Dhopadhola (The language of Jop’Adhola tribe) culture of Uganda is the most common metonym for people living together. Oti-parani (my house) means ”my family”. A house is someone’s identity; it is a sign of security and happiness. A house is the concretization of social relations and the sentiments accompanying them. A house, not least of all, is a status symbol. Building a house is building a powerful symbol. A house is something to which people attach some of the most cherished virtues of their culture: respect, love, memory, ”home” and beauty. In this article, building a house is seen as one of the most important achievements in a person’s life. It provides elderly people with respect and security.
Papoli village or a couple of years now have many interesting news and stories doing the rounds; and all in the name of special favors from God and indeed blessings.
— Emmanuel Ofumbi
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