The Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) has signed a memorandum of understanding with TotalEnergies EP Uganda aimed at enhancing cultural heritage conservation in the Albertine region. The one-year project dubbed “Culture for Livelihoods” will safeguard and promote cultural heritage in Bunyoro, Bugungu, Alur and Acholi.
The project premised on our previous work to empower young people and women to establish livelihood projects through cultural entrepreneurship will focus on two sub sectors of cultural heritage –handicrafts making and music (specifically support to traditional cultural troupes) as part of cultural entrepreneurship for improved livelihoods.
Key activities to be undertaken will include identifying, safeguarding and promoting traditional knowledge, facilitation of value addition in crafts making and traditional music, building the capacity of traditional music troupes and crafts workers in organization management, publicity, and marketing. As well as promoting intercultural collaboration and diversity of goods and services in the creative industry in turn deepening awareness about the importance and role of the crafts industry and traditional music in promoting livelihoods of communities.
Speaking during the colourful signing ceremony held at Sheraton Kampala Hotel on Wednesday, July 13th, 2022, CCFU’s Executive Director, Ms. Barbra Babweteera noted that the project will empower communities to use culture and arts as a driver for locally-driven development.
“The artistic and design skills of craft‐workers will be strengthened and the age‐old tradition of passing on the artistic skills from one generation to another will be improved. It will enhance the skills of selected crafts workers and traditional music troupes to produce culturally authentic goods and services, improve quality and diversity in the creative works as well as improve management and marketing,” Ms. Babweteera said.
Handicraft making in Uganda is essentially a cultural, traditional and predominantly cottage industry undertaken mainly by rural women as a way of supplementing household incomes. Tradition has been that master crafts workers handover skills from generation to generation. Due to the widening generation gap, however, this is on the decline. Master crafts‐workers still exist but their numbers are considerably diminishing.
The music industry on the other hand faces similar challenges. There is adulteration of traditional music and the efforts to copy non-indigenous music and incorporate it in our own is on the rise. This makes our music sound almost the same, as contemporary musicians seek to cash in on what is trending. Traditionally-rooted music that would make our music distinct and therefore more appealing internationally is left on the peripherals of the country, where it is quietly dying out. For example, Mubako Sound of the Nile, an adungu (African harp) orchestra started in 2005 and since 2013 performs for tourists at the bridge in Murchison Falls National Park, has had 5 of the 10 founding members die –with the 5 left also retiring due to old age, according to Julius Orom, the group’s Chairperson.
“Culture is a catalyst for social and economic development and therefore we hope to play a vital role in promoting cultural income generating activities through skill development, creativity, and innovation, that will in turn empower the communities for further development and preservation of the beautiful cultural heritage,’ Philippe Groueix, General Manager TotalEnergies EP Uganda said.
CCFU’s project is one of the four projects that TotalEnergies EP Uganda flagged off as part of the company’s ‘Action for Sustainability’ Campaign, which aims to showcase concrete actions that the company is taking towards sustainable development. The others are by: a) SafeWay RightWay (SWRW) for road safety initiatives in schools; b) Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to support Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) law enforcement activities in Murchison Falls National Park; and c) Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWT) to promote community, education and awareness around Budongo forest central reserve.
“TotalEnergies has made clear commitments towards ensuring that its activities are conducted in line with best environmental and social practices. We are committed to working with partners who are experts in implementing sustainable projects aimed at achieving positive outcomes for conservation, culture and communities,” Groueix said.
“These agreements are just the beginning of a much bigger programme of partnerships for the implementation of our actions for sustainability,” he added.
CCFU is delighted about this partnership and is looking forward to working collaboratively with TotalEnergies to strengthen efforts to safeguard and promote cultural heritage as a key driver to achieving sustainable development.
https://crossculturalfoundation.or.ug/ccfu/2022/07/14/1742/