Story by Osuta Yusuf.
In a special cultural sitting on Thursday 11-January-2024, elders above the age of 60 years have thoroughly traced and narrated the origin of their clans and people who eventually got permanently settled at Tara in the 1950s.
The cultural gathering comprising of Olua clan, Pajama clan among others which took place in Tara Sub-county, Maracha east constituency in Maracha District is one of the rare occasions witnessed in WestNile region where elders converge to trace, tell Youths their origin and also orientatee them on traditional norms and values.
Photo; Mr Tito Apamaku
An elder with Disability, Mr Tito Apamaku says these days when elders fall mentally unstable, it becomes hard to get someone to tell our oral history.
The current generation of people do not know their history, Mr Tito added as he urged the elders to thoroughly teach them about it.
Mr Amazu Felix blamed the deteriorating culture on lack of respect between Youths and Elders.
Mr Amazu attached child marriages and moral decay as part of the problem killing culture in this generation.
Photo: Mr Amazu Felix
One of the elders from the Tara clans, Mr Gerikurumu Govule zeroed on modernisation and religions as the factors that have entirely contributed to destruction of culture.
Photo: Mr Gerikurumu Govule
Bonmark Okuonzi the itinerant preacher at Olua church of Uganda, Tara, who joined the subjects of those clans in attending the oral history narration and also feasted on the culturally slaughtered cows stated that.
Photo: Mr Bonmark Okuonzi
Religion doesn’t see culture and its rituals like slaughtering dowries as a sin but rather how the actions are conducted.
While quoting the Bible, Galatians 3:28, Mr Bonmark says Religion and Culture are one thing before the Almighty God.