CCFU’s 12th Annual Youth Cultural Heritage Awarding Ceremony occurred on 7th December 2023, in Masaka. This event was organised to recognise and appreciate 13 winners of the 2023 Youth cultural heritage competition and to launch the 2024 Heritage Calendar.
The event was attended by young people from school heritage clubs, teachers, Masaka district local government, Buganda Kingdom, civil society organisations, the media, and religious leaders.
While speaking at the ceremony, Omutaka Kizito Mutumba the head of clans in Buganda Kingdom who was the chief guest, applauded CCFU for engaging young people in the promotion of their cultural heritage. He added, “Young people are the pillars of the nation and it is important to teach them cultural values that groom them into respectable citizens of the world.”
On behalf of the Buganda Kingdom, he pledged to support CCFU in its efforts to promote and safeguard Uganda’s diverse cultural heritage as an important contributor to Uganda’s development.
Pookino Jude Muleke the head of Buddu County noted that “there is no development that can take place without the integration of culture because all development interventions are guided by cultural values, norms and principles.”
This year, the theme of the competition was “Culture and Money ”. Young people were tasked to draw or paint cultural objects and activities that can be used to make money. CCFU received 465 entries from across the country and a jury of 5 heritage experts from the culture sector assessed them to identify the best 14 entries. These entries have been used to design and produce the 2024 Heritage Calendar which was launched on the same day.
The competition is part of the activities implemented under CCFU’s Heritage Education Programme, which aims at enhancing young people’s appreciation of their cultural heritage. This programme which the Foundation has implemented for the last 12 years, involves training teachers to provide support, establish heritage clubs and provide information on cultural resources to young people. CCFU works with over 180 heritage clubs in secondary and primary schools, in partnership with 21 Community Museums nationwide.