By Diphas Kiguli
The former Luganda teacher at Bishop primary school Mukono and also a mother to eight children but overtly in retirement age built a house demonstrating the first Baganda’s ancestral family setting.
The exhibition house is constructed behind the kraal, few meters from the main house portraying historical living of the baganda ancestors.
When she starts narrating how the idea of setting up such a facility was hatched, one is excused from imagining about the art but stand in a glee of her conversation.
Inside the ancestral house the floor is well covered with grass sparing only a small space for a fire place which provides smoke for the harvested foods well wrapped in dry banana leaves and tied up on kitchen loft (ekibanyi). A fine demonstration of maize, g-nuts, beans, roasted meat (omukalo) and maize are tied hanging.
At the right side are placed different banana leaves dolls of a man, woman and children made out of banana leaves wrapped with backcloth demonstrating the first muganda family setting.
“This house is for my ancestors; Zebidayo, his wife Nataliya and their children because I am a Muganda by tribe. I’ve been able to trace my origin and that’s why I built a home demonstrating it,” she confidently shares.
In the middle of the house there is a strong pillar with dried local foods wrapped in dry banana leaves. “The pillar belongs to Nataliya, it is where she ties food that is used during rainy seasons, she is not supposed to get anything from the kitchen loft without the Zebidayo’s authorization,”
The house also comprises of other ancient baganda equipment among others hoes (akasimo), panga, niddle (olukatu), stool (mwasajjute), jingles (endege), motor and pestle, axes, baskets and bark clothes.
“It is bad to hide away from your ancestry. I took time and some money to travel to Luweero (Bulemeezi) to buy most of these wooden and metallic tools,” She explains.
She adds that every tool is important giving an example of jingle bells which could be tied on children’s legs to wake them up during night to avoid excreting on beds at the sometime used during the traditional dance and hunting.
From the historical house, Gubya takes us at backyard of her main house. Here loads of trees, crops and fruits are grown in different gardens throughout seasons.
She has also lived up growing different varieties of local foods ‘Emere enansi’ among others are greens, onions, banana, beans, maize potatoes and pumpkins yams and several other climbing foods. At home there is also two cows, goats, chicken and pigs.
“I don’t stop at showcasing these crops but I chose to add value on them by making flour and packing others to sell,” Gubya shares while pointing at some of the crops and flour placed on a malleable plate and in teens.
The fruits I grow here contains medicine so instead of wasting my little money in hospitals, I just invest in my energy and time to grow crops and fruits which in return acts as medicine. “I don’t remember the last time I went to the hospital for treatment,” she ponders with a jolly face.
“Since I am growing more old every day, I decided to form and registered a women group known as Kyosiga Kyolikungula to pass over knowledge of maintaining local foods to the next generation,” She has trained women in the Mother’s Union Namirembe Diocese where she is a member.
After harvesting she keeps most of the crops in a granary. Since all her children are married, Gubya is also using their rooms as show rooms she branded farming attic.
Many people flock Gubya’s home to take processed and packed green foods including students on agricultural academic research. Gubya in 2016 was among the motivational speakers during the Nakasero Women Conference where she was also awarded the Victoria Ssekitoreko Award appreciating her efforts of promoting food security, poverty eradication and development through Agriculture.
Harriet Namuddu a member in Kyosiga group says she learnt from Gubya patience in farming. “You have to be patient once you start practicing farming, however, you do not need to work alone. Joining up together in this group is making miracles at our homes,”
Brenda Nanseko a resident at Mukono town reveals that she learnt to use a small piece of land to grow crops and fruits after visiting Gubya’s place. “When you look at my garden I don’t use a lot of space. But altogether I have most of the crops and fruits that I need making it rare to visit food markets.”
English 