The programme was introduced in the two districts after a three days capacity enhancement training for teachers and school administrators from 14 schools, local government representatives and cultural leaders in Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts. The aim of the event was to equip teachers and school administrators with skills to establish and run heritage clubs in their schools.
The programme which is going to be coordinated by the Obudingya Bwa Bwamba cultural institution in Bundibugyo targets to enhance young people’s appreciation of their cultural heritage through different heritage club activities such as visiting cultural sites, drawing and sharing family trees, cultural exhibitions and participating in annual national competitions, among other activities.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Wilson Mubulya the Prime Minister of Obudingiya Bwa Bwamba cultural institution appreciated CCFU for accepting his invitation to introduce the programme in Bundibugyo. He also appreciated the Foundation for its efforts to safeguard and promote Uganda’s cultural heritage. Hon. Mubulya emphasised the need to preserve cultural heritage noting that this can only be sustainable when it is implemented in partnership with young people, the future custodians of heritage. On behalf of Obudingya Bwa Bwamba, he pledged support to the schools to ensure that activities in school heritage clubs are running smoothly.
The training focused on concepts such as culture, mapping cultural heritage resources in communities, managing cultural diversity in clubs, using the heritage education toolkit to deliver sessions to young people and the introduction of culture in the new lower secondary school curriculum. Participants visited Obudingya Bwa Bamba community museum and the Batwa cultural heritage trail to get a practical interaction with cultural heritage.
While closing the training, Ms. Biira Julian, who represented the Community Development Officer of Bundibugyo District local government expressed her gratitude to CCFU for expanding the programme to Bundibugyo. She pledged that the district will empower all community development officers at the sub-county level to support the established heritage clubs in collaboration with the cultural institution of Obudingya Bwa Bwamba.
The expansion of the Heritage Education Programme to the Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts increases CCFU’S heritage clubs in schools to about 164 in Uganda.