Uganda cultural tourism to restore Luo culture through art and craft

Thomas Opio and Timothy Ocen display some of their paintings of the Acholi Traditional home setting. The two are seeking to educate the youth in the area about their past.

 

The twin brothers are using their skills to teach the youth about the past.

While their age-mates are troubled, looking for jobs, Timothy Ocen and Thomas Opio, the 33-year old twins, have found solace in art and craft, making pieces that depict the Luo culture.

When I meet them, Ocen, the director of AfriArt Gulu, is finishing a drawing on the nativity of Jesus Christ, on a two-metre piece of cloth, in a grass thatched hut which also acts as an office.

A qualified secondary school teacher of art, Ocen taught for only six months at Gulu Army Secondary school in 2005 before turning to start his own business.

When peace returned to the once war ravaged region, Opio who had studied brick laying at Lugogo Vocational Institute and later, Counselling and Guidance, joined his brother in 2010. Though Opio is not a qualified artist, he has learnt the skills from his brother.

“Art is inborn. Opio and I used to compete in art and when we started the business, it was just to supplement on what he already had. Our grandfather does pottery and we are following in his footsteps,” Ocen says.

Many of the youth in Gulu grew up in camps and were not able to see traditional homesteads, but through their art and craft, the twins are trying to educate the community.

Some of the paintings show the Acholi homestead, with animals tied, in the compound, a granary and the head of the family doing some domestic work with his wife and children.

They also have a painting of an African woman, half dressed to portray her beauty. However, the people in the area are yet to appreciate their work.

Mr. Ocen says, “The region is still ignorant about paintings, and many just walk by them. But we are optimistic. With time, people will get to understand its beauty.”

Their largest market are the hotels and their customers include Chobe Safari Lodge, Paraa Safari Lodge, Palema Hotel, Golden Piece and Acholi Bar hotel They also supply restaurants, schools, churches and local crafts shops within town. Festive seasons like Easter, Christmas and New Year are the periods they sell many paintings, as well as in August when many tourists visit the region.

More than 70 pieces have been taken to the USA for exhibition. A painting on a two-metre piece of cloth goes for Shs250,000 and above depending on what is drawn. The smallest piece costs between Shs20,000 and Shs50,000. Sculptures on walls and compound designs go for Shs80,000 to Shs120,000.

Other items they make include earrings, bangles, necklaces and sign posts, with some of their the raw materials being, snail shells, paint and cow horns.

The hard work seems to be yielding results as Ocen says they earn profits of between Shs320,000 and Shs500,000 monthly.

Hurdles they meet

He, however, notes that the business is slow due to low appreciation in the region. The twins point that out as a reason to the limited market, besides, local leaders have been stopped from having paintings that depict the region’s turbulent times. Also, lack of enough capital and the expensive materials escalate the problem.

In 2011, there seemed a ray of hope and Ocen was very excited when the government in partnership with specific banks in the country made available a venture capital fund worth Shs25b for the youth. However, like many, he has not been able to obtain money from it, due to the strings attached.

The fund was to support and promote venture capital debt to finance viable projects proposed by the young entrepreneurs such as Ocen, as well as enable them benefit from associated mentoring services from the participating banks to help avert unemployment. Such vocational jobs, Ocen contends, can go a long way in easing pressure on government should the industry be given a conducive environment to thrive.
Ocen and Opio are also in the business of teaching people their craft. “We also teach women and youth how to make art pieces, beads, bangles and bracelets,” Ocen says.
They currently directly employ 12 people so far.
Ocen hopes to open an art gallery and a website to market their products and perhaps a school of art and design in the region so that people can appreciate and also compare the pre-colonial life and the present.

Uganda wildlife education centre plans first floating restaurant in East Africa

The first phase of the Shs5 billion Uganda Wildlife project is expected to be complete by September.

The idea of a restaurant on water may, for many, have been a thought for Uganda@100 but no, by September this year, the first phase of this high-end, luxurious facility will be complete.

This is after the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre announced plans to build the restaurant on Lake Victoria, as well as develop a multi-purpose white sand beach on the lake shores. The both shut-eye and eye-popping development will be the first “floating” restaurant in East Africa, according to the Uganda wildlife education centre’s executive director, Mr. James Musinguzi.

Officiating at the restaurant’s ground breaking ceremony in Entebbe last Friday, the Minister for Tourism, Ms Maria Mutagamba, said the project, to be executed in three phases, would cost Shs5 billion.

“I am aware that under the National Development Plan, the Pier Restaurant and Beach Development project is one of the anticipated outputs of the ministry. Therefore, the ministry pledges continuous support to Uganda wildlife education centre but more specifically this project because the government is keen to see it take off,” Ms Mutagamba said.

The whole project is expected to be concluded within two years, according to Mr. Joel Aita, an engineer from Joadah Consults, the company that made the plan of the facility, which will be called Pier Restaurant. The restaurant’s foundation was laid in 2007 and government has so far contributed Shs615 million.

To address the unpredictability that often comes with construction on water, the Ministry of Works carried out a series of surveys.

“Our design was adequate but you can’t gamble on nature so we needed a series of tests and the results were impressive,” Mr. Aita said, adding: “We needed concrete strength of C30 to be safe here but the Ministry of Works found that our structure was C40 which means we exceeded the standard.”

The restaurant will be divided into four floors, with the first one housing the main restaurant, the second housing 16 rooms while the top floors will be multi-purpose. The restaurant will have a docking area for boats going to various destinations on L. Victoria.

Uganda Wildlife Authority to mark 150 years since Sir Samuel Baker visit

Tourism is one of Uganda’s strongest attractions. Other than the famous silverback gorillas, 1,050 bird species, panoramic views, the Source of The Nile and diverse cultures, Uganda is endowed with a wealth of history.

In line with this, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is planning to celebrate 150 years since Sir Samuel Baker set foot in Uganda.

UWA’s executive director, Andrew Seguya, said preparations have already started.

“We are organizing celebrations to mark 150 years since Baker first set foot in Uganda. It is going to be such a big event and will trigger modern explorers into action,” Seguya said.

He added that they expect revenue from touris m to double in the near future.

“The onus is upon us to market our stunning attractions, like underground forests in Queen Elizabeth National Park and now Sir Samuel’s View,” said Maria Mutagamba, the tourism minister.

“Tourism is destined to be in the lead as a foreign exchange earner for the economy,” she added.

She made the remarks at the Media Centre on Friday while presenting details of Sir Samuel Baker’s expedition, dating back 149 years.

“I have been to the place where Lady Florence Baker (Sir Samuel Baker’s wife) fell so ill that the hosts began digging her grave, but she mysteriously recovered,” said the leader of the expedition, Julian Fisher.

“I am hereby correcting an impression created by some writers that Sir Samuel Baker was the first person to see Lake Albert,” he said.

The author and photographer of repute, Fisher, argued that there were fishing communities with tribal leaders that existed long before Baker’s trip to Africa.

“Guided by residents, he made its presence known to the rest of the world. And this expedition is not the last one, I am coming back to circumnavigate Lake Victoria. I will be retracing Sir Henry Morton Stanley’s route as well. I am sure this will become another attraction for an exodus of tourists to the Pearl of Africa,” he said.

While here, David Baker, Baker’s grandson and his daughter Melanie, read excerpts from the explorer’s personal diaries at MurchisonNational Park recently.

“I feel privileged to be part of this expedition. I have met traditional leaders like Solomon Gafabusa of Bunyoro and Rwot Acana II of the Acholi. I am lucky they speak English today, but I wonder how Sir Samuel Baker used to communicate,” Baker said.

 

Rwanda Government’s efforts to grow tourism sector get boost

A local aviation company has launched an air emergency medical evacuation service targeting tourists, a move that will boost Rwanda’stourism sector.

Akagera Aviation

Akagera Aviation said the service would provide rapid response rescue and medical care to subscribing tourists, who may experience a serious health problem while in the country.  This development will not only boost the tourism and hospitality sectors, but will also enhance the healthcare system in country, sector players predicted.

“The air ambulance service will cater for tourists in cases of medical emergencies, where evacuation via ground ambulance is not possible,” Bonita Mutoni, the Akagera Aviation commercial manager, said at the launch of the initiative at Mille Collines Hotel in Kiyovu, Kigali on Monday.   The airline has partnered with King Faisal Hospital, the Rwanda Tour and Travel Association and the Rwanda Development Bank to offer the service.

Tourism is currently the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner, having generated $232m (about Rwf153.1b) by October 2012 compared to $204m over the same period in 2011. The government is working on various ways that could help Rwanda become the top tourist destination in the region.

The government has, for example, carried out a customer care awareness campaign to improve service delivery in the services sector. It is also working on a plan that will expand the medical and cultural tourism sub-sectors.