Project Location
The project is located at Wamala village only 30 minutes from Kampala, along Kampala – Hoima road, only 2.5 kilometres after a right turn off Hoima road, Nabweru Sub county, Wakiso District.
Project Background
Uganda Pioneers’ Association has for 3 times worked on the renovation and the beautification of Wamala Tombs. In 2011, we supported the site by digging and construction of a new pit latrine to improve the sanitation.
Wamala Tombs is the burial ground for the 29th King of Buganda, the late Ssekabaka Suuna II Kalema Kasinjo Mukaabya Sekkyungwa who reigned from 1832 until October 1856. He is known to have died of small pox.
This 195 years cultural heritage site is set on a hilltop with beautiful surroundings, Wamala tombs is a unique sacred burial ground for Kabaka Suuna II, the last king of Buganda to be removed his jaw bone after death and to be buried in his own palace.
Although these tombs are only 30 minutes from Kampala, along Kampala – Hoima road, only 2.5 kilometres after a right turn off Hoima road.
With the fall of the kingdoms in 1967, this and other heritage sites were severely neglected and destroyed. On restoration and crowning of the 36th Buganda King Ronald Edward Fredrick Kimera Muwenda Mutebi II on 31st July 1993, the kingdom has done its best to maintain all her cultural heritage sites unfortunately with less success due to the limited resource envelope the kingdom has. For the first time, Buganda Kingdom has taken up to renovate this site starting last year.
With the torching down of the Kasubi Tombs in March 2010, the only UNESCO Heritage site in Uganda, the hope to rebuild it to its status will come with alot of years. Now that Wamala, the little known would be second biggest tombs being renovated, the need to popularise it and create awareness in the masses is inevitable.
As the Kingdom and the government are working hard to rebuild the famous Kasubi Tombs and little known Wamala Tombs, it is therefore necessary for civil society organisations like UPA to supplement their efforts by creating awareness of the need to promote cultural heritage.
In efforts to carry on the past successes of other actors in the campaign for the Cultural Heritage, co-organised by the Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary service (CCIVS) members and World Heritage Centre (WHC) under the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, UPA has chosen to organise a workcamp to engage on improving the sanitation of the tombs through, Greening it by planting trees and flowers in the compound.
On the other hand, the project will engage on a campaign to sensitise and develop appreciation of world heritage values through distributing and circulating printed fliers promoting conservation of this cultural heritage site and conduct Forum theatre Outreaches to popularise the plight of this cultural heritage site to the public.
Project Objectives
- To improve sanitation around Wamala Tombs
- Create awareness on the need to conserve and promote cultural heritage
- To beautify the cultural heritage site
Activities
- Slashing, digging, cleaning the heritage site
- Planting fruit and compound (decoration) trees
- Planting live fence trees around the tombs
- Landscaping
- Distributing fliers and posters
- Conducting theatre and outreach discussions
Expected Outcome
It is expected after the work camp:
- That sanitation around Wamala Tombs will improve
- Reduction of garbage around the tombs
- Distribute 500 leaflets on cultural heritage values
- One day public sensitisation on cultural heritage using posters, fliers and theatre presentations.
- 500 fliers and 500 posters distributed to communities.
Cultural and educational visits
- Working on this site is a direct opportunity to see and learn about the history of the site.
Note:
There is also the possibility of visiting the Uganda Museum, Entebbe Wild life Centre and Botanical beach gardens all found in a radius of not more than 40 kilometres from the camp site but at the cost of interested volunteers. A cultural night will be organised and participants will display items, songs and dances from their home countries and traditions.
Beneficiaries
- UPA staff members
- International work camp participants
- Medium and Long term volunteers
- Local volunteers
- Nansana and Wamala community
Participation
The project expects 25 participants maximum with a composition of people from Uganda, regional and International volunteer organisations. Participants will work 6 hours daily from Monday to Friday. Weekends are for social interaction and/ or excursions unless if the official camp programme has an activity.
Who qualifies to participate
- Open minded, ready to interact with other people of different cultural background
- Willing to share his/her experiences
- Flexible to live/stay in simple life conditions
- Flexible to the taste of other foods (local)
- Ready to do heavy manual work on the project
- No experience needed
The Host Community
The people found in central Uganda are multi tribal with the majority population being Baganda. And the major language spoken is Luganda with also a big percentage of people speaking English well.
Like most regions in Uganda people in this community always welcome visitors and always interested to talk/work with people from other cultural backgrounds. Volunteers on this project will have the opportunity to interact with mostly UPA members, medium and long term volunteers in the country and those from the community.
Accommodation
- Accommodation will be in a UPA hall at the office.
- Average but not luxury.
- The camp site has simple bathrooms with no showers
- The camp sites has latrines not toilets
- And a simple cooking shelter (kitchen).
Meals
- There are several local foods to choose from e.g. matooke, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin and also rice, spaghetti, ground nuts, beans, peas and different types green vegetables
- Fruits can also be easily bought from local markets, mangoes, sweet bananas, water melon, pineapples etc
- Participants will chose food to prepare depending on the availability.
- Participants will divide themselves in Groups to prepare own meals using charcoal and firewood.
Health Services
Nansana has several medical clinics at distance of less than a kilo meter and the main hospitals are situated in a radius of 12Kilometres in Kampala
Water Source
Participants shall be required to collect water from the nearby spring well only about 600 metres away.
Climate /weather
July is normally humid, dry and sunny. It marks the start of the dry spell in Uganda. Although the country continues to face a changing weather pattern due to global warming. The month is characterized with sunshine and dust. It is can therefore be hot and dusty with temperatures ranging between 24 – 30 degrees Centigrade on average or even mo.
What to bring
Participants shall be required to bring own sleeping bag, Mat, pillow, Mosquito Net, sun/mosquito creams/repellents, working gloves and boots/shoes. Light working clothes during working hours and warm clothes at night, as it may turn out to be chilly or cold; Musical instrument {optional}; Torch or flash light; Water purifiers {optional}; Personal effects {i.e. soap, toothpaste, toiletries.
Bringing your national flag, common art facts of your country; stories, games, picture and local recipes for cultural presentations from your country is advisable too for social interaction. Please carry along anything that you feel can well introduce you and your culture to make it enjoyable. Above all do not forget a happy and positive attitude and energy.
NB: Very short (Hot pants); skirts and dresses will not be culturally welcome especially for female. Smoking in public is illegal while engagement in drug/harsh carries a life prison sentence.