Category: Bantu
Our Stories:
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Dracaena, a Shrub That Watches over Boundaries
The plant known as omugorora among my people, the Bakiga, is called dracaena in English. The name comes from an Ancient Greek word “drakaina” or “female dragon”. It is a genus of about 120 species of trees and shrubs, mainly growing in Africa, with a few species in Asia and central America. A famous member of this genus is dragon…
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“No Persons of Sufficient Intelligence”
“One has to admire the English: they managed to run almost half a billion people and control a quarter of the world’s land — all that from a relatively insignificant island somewhere between Europe and America. Extreme self-confidence — if only Africa had more of that!” I once read in one of the Gorilla Highlands…
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Tribute to Omugurusi Karwemera, the Icon of Western Uganda
UPDATE, DECEMBER 2024: Karwemera’s Bakiga museum in Kabale town is no more. We hope to bring it back one day. Festo Karwemera was a teacher right to the end of his remarkable life… People would come to his home on the outskirts of Kabale in Uganda’s Gorilla Highlands region to learn about culture, history, life.…
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Bakiga Are Tough but Not Rough
You ask any typical Ugandan about the Bakiga people and the first thing they will tell you is that the Bakiga are rough and strong by nature. Some will even say that it’s a proven fact that the Bakiga women beat up their husbands. True to some extent, but not entirely because depending on the situation…
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Love in Traditional Rwanda: Arranged and Communal
Love in the traditional Rwandan society meant learning to love the partner others chose for you. It began with a relative of a bachelor pointing out a young lady as a potential bride for him. This was known as Kuranga which translates directly as ‘to announce’. The bachelor’s family would then select a man as…
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Secrets of Bakiga Marriage
It is very easy to get a girl but it takes a long time to marry her. In the beginning you give her your phone contact and Facebook account. You don’t talk much on the phone because airtime is expensive. You might use Facebook Zero (free Facebook messaging on your phone) to chat with her…
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