The 4 day retreat which aimed at retooling coordinators to train new patrons and discuss programme achievements, challenges, and new ideas took place from 4th – 7th of October at Pretoria Hotel in Mbale City.
It was attended by over 24 coordinators, who also serve as community museums curators from across the country , cultural leaders and local government officials.
The role of these coordinating hubs include: supporting schools to implement activities of the programme such as toolkit trainings, music dance and drama, art and crafts, organising visits to museums and cultural heritage sites in the communities . This is done by training new patrons, sharing information on the needs of heritage clubs with CCFU and support visits to ensure smooth implementation of programmes.
In his opening remarks, the Inspector of Schools, Mbale City, Mr. Walukhu John applauded CCFU for its efforts to promote and preserve cultural heritage. He also appreciated CCFU for working with communities such as community museums in its work, for they are the custodians of this heritage. Mr. Walukhu encouraged coordinators to continue supporting CCFU and taking steps to continue with the work promoting cultural heritage even without CCFU.
While sharing achievements of the programme, coordinators boasted of the existence of a ‘pool’ of young people in schools and communities who are passionate and are able to contribute to the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage; in most schools, heritage clubs serve as the ‘moral campus’ for young people, because it is where they are groomed and that, young people in heritage clubs have started livelihood projects such as dance groups and crafts, which earn them income.
Heritage clubs in Bududa and Mbale were visited to give a practical experience to coordinators on how to support schools and to shape conversations during monitoring visits.
Coordinators pledged to continue supporting young people in the heritage clubs to not only promote and preserve their heritage but to also create safe spaces where this heritage can be expressed and enjoyed
About the Heritage Education Programme
In 2011, CCFU initiated a programme to enhance heritage education in Uganda, recognising the role of the young generation in promoting cultural rights and heritage. CCFU now supports more than 150 “school heritage clubs” by training teachers and providing materials.
CCFU also supports the development of cultural heritage resources in the vicinity of the selected schools by supporting 15 community museums and their outreach activities. The Foundation has also been engaging the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) to integrate culture into the new national curriculum for lower secondary schools. For more information, see HEP resources.
In 2017, CCFU received support from UNESCO for a 3-year project that aims at raising awareness of the management and academic staff in 4 universities in Uganda on the relevance of intangible cultural heritage in Uganda’s current development context.
https://crossculturalfoundation.or.ug/ccfu/2022/10/13/ccfu-holds-a-retreat-for-coordinators-of-the-heritage-education-programme/
