Kwanzaa yangu ya kwanza

I’m started to prepare to go home for the holidays. Not all scholars choose to do this for one reason or another, but I think I need a little vacation.  Because I’m not a traditional student, if I were to stay in Kampala, I would ultimately continue to work on my research day and night as I am doing right now. So, I think this will be a great time to distress, relax and catch up with friends and family for a couple of weeks.

I have been getting some interesting questions regarding how Ugandans celebrate Christmas. I get asked “do they celebrate Kwanzaa?” “Is it a more African Christmas?” to which I just respond “no and no”. I can’t say I’m shocked at how Christmas is celebrated over here. It just seems so much like home – but hot like it’s summer time. Everyday seems to get a little hotter and I sweat more and more. I’m wearing more dresses and shorts due to the extreme heat and find myself getting dehydrated more often because of this as well. But when I go to Oasis or Garden City (malls), I see all the decorations hanging and holiday music playing. To be honest, that’s the only time I feel like it’s Christmas time. Then I walk outside and recall that I’m in Africa.

I do want to address the Kwanzaa question. Many people assume that Kwanza is an African tradition or celebration but it’s actually an African American celebration. Perhaps because ‘kwanza’ is a Swahili word for ‘first’, people assume that it’s an East African tradition. And perhaps people are used to seeing the Kente cloth around this time of year, but again, that’s an African American thing. The purpose of kwanza was to unite the African American community.  It’s really a young celebration when you compare it to other holidays around this time of year. After a little bit of research on what Kwanza was all about, I decided that I should give it a try this year. Sometimes, African Americans come to Africa to discover their roots, I’m not one of those. I came to learn about the culture and government structure as a result of colonialism. But, I am learning a lot about myself and I have learned that my culture is quite unique. And Kwanzaa interest me because it is directly related to my heritage. It isn’t meant to replace a spiritual holiday such as Christmas or Hanukkah, but to unify a community by practicing 7 principles for 7 days (Dec 26 - Jan 1):

• Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves stand up.
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.
• Ujamaa(Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
• Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
• Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
• Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in God, our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

I find all of this to be very interesting, and being that I’ve dedicated this year to learning about different cultures, why not dive into my own unique culture and try Kwanzaa for the first time this year. I know there has been a bit of a backlash to Kwanzaa for some time in the African American community, but I’m going to choose to do this for my own learning experiences.  I would also like to note that all of the gifts that are given during Kwanzaa are handmade. I think that adds a great personal touch to the tradition and meaning of Kwanzaa, if you ask me. These are all principles that I think every person, no matter their race or nationality, can learn from.

This is a big deal to me personally because I grew up in a predominately white area. I was oftentimes the only black female in my classes, so many people made comments to me about being African American and looking African (most of the time not very nice comments).  I admit, I was ashamed of who I was any my ancestors. But, as time passed and I matured, I realized that I have nothing to be ashamed about. What happened to my ancestors wasn’t their fault and it’s in the past now. All I can do is make sure that what they fought for lives on and I pass it down to my children. Since coming to East Africa, I have been questioned repeatedly about my heritage and now I say with pride that I’m African American because it’s unique but more importantly, it makes up who I am inside and outside. But my past doesn’t define my future, it’s my actions that define my future.  I hope that this holiday season, I learn something from my first celebration of Kwanza and that I can teach everyone reading this something too.

If you’re interested in learning more about Kwanzaa, check out the documentary “The Black Candle” or read this interesting article.

What My Trip to Europe Taught Me about East Africa

I recently went on a week long trip to Europe to meet other Ambassadorial Scholars, go to the Berlin Rotary Peace Forum, and visit a school in London.  Culture shock wouldn't even begin to describe what I was dealing with as I took advantage of a Starbucks on every corner in Berlin. As fun as the adventure was, I kept thinking that choosing Uganda was the right choice for me. Since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to help others and basically save the world. Well, I know I'm not Wonder Woman (even though my skype screen name says otherwise). But, I do feel as though I can make a difference, even if it is a small difference.

This realization came to me as I was watching "The Lorax". If you haven't seen that movie or read the children's book, I recommend you pick it up. Dr. Suess was an amazing man that had the ability to teach young children how to read as well as teach lessons about equality and social issues. The quote at the end of the movie is what really hit home for me:

 

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

 







That quote really hit home because I had spent the past couple of days listening to Rotarians and Rotaractors from all across Europe discuss what they wanted to do in areas that are plagued with extreme poverty and bad water. I talked to a Rotarian from France about his club's project in Cameroon, and a German Rotarian about his project in Ethiopia. All great projects and for the better good. I even watched a presentation about some European Rotaractors doing an international service project in South Africa called Rotaract Hearts. I just felt as though we all could be doing more.

What I am seeing in Uganda and Tanzania is different than what some of the people were talking about in their presentations. Being on the ground and living among the people gives you a different perspective than just coming to a country every few months to do a project. That's when I thought "why don't any of these well off clubs of Europe or the U.S. partner with some clubs in Africa?" The German Rotarian answered this question for me "There's a negative stereotype about working with clubs in Africa.  People here say they want to help, but they know there may be a risk involved." Now, that's not to say that there aren't clubs in Europe and North America that don't partner with clubs in Africa. I've seen some great projects in Uganda and Tanzania that are a result of partnerships. But, that negative stereotype is what I couldn't shake.

I kept thinking about this conversation with the Rotarian for the rest of the week. There are so many people that have a need in Africa that you would think people would push through those stereotypes and help people. But, I suppose that's not what happens. Even when I was talking to the other Ambassadorial Scholars about my experiences, their reaction to my experience was usually a blank face. I knew they couldn't relate unless they have actually been there, but it was a bit of a downer to realize that they didn't fully understand that people here live more without than with what westerners would consider the "basics to life".

So, after that conversation with the German Rotarian and the other Ambassadorial Scholars, I realized that maybe I can be that bridge to break down those stereotypes. I mean, I know that's what the scholarship is for, but what if I made it a personal mission?  I want to help East Africa in any way possible, but if people were actually able to get past those negative stereotypes and try to empower the people in East Africa, then would the Rotarians and organizations from Europe and North America be more willing to help?  That's when Dr. Suess' quote encouraged me to actually be an advocate for equality in East Africa. If I don't, then who will? I'm sure there are many people in the region who are doing the same as me, but it wouldn't hurt for me to utilize my connections and bond with Rotary in order to help and empower people in East Africa. Especially because I look like an East African, my vantage point is surely a unique one.

I just keep thinking 'Africans are people too. Don't they deserve the same rights as people in the U.S. and Europe? Don't they deserve clean drinking water? Healthcare? A good education? A safe and clean environment?' So, my trip to Europe has taught me that even though I have my hard times in East Africa, I really do love the region and want to help it as much as I possibly can...because unless someone like me cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly.