Nnabagereka takes ekisaakate to UK

Nnabagereka with some of the Ekisaakate participants in the UK last Saturday. courtesy photo

KAMPALA- The queen of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda, has told Ugandans not to discard their culture in exchange for what modernisation brings along with the global village.

The Nnabagereka, who is currently in the United Kingdom, asked Ugandans in the diaspora to stay united, remain in contact with their roots and respect each other’s culture.

“We should also use our varying cultures as a means of reaching out and finding that which can unite us as Ugandans, Africans and even Ugandan-British but not as devices for creating enmity and petty divisions,” the Nnabagereka said.

Queen Nagginda said this at the opening of Ekisaakate kya Nnabagereka (royal enclosure) last Saturday at Rafayel Hotel in Battersea,Nirvana. She emphasised the need for people in the diaspora to promote positive cultural values.

“We must guard the best there is of our cultures to reinforce our ability to cope with the rapid global changes and in so doing, we would be able to create a new inclusive culture that is beyond whom we are,” she explained. About 100 children participated in the royal enclosure under the theme “Identity, Rights and Responsibility”.

Girls and boys aged 4 to 18 were given assignments weeks prior to the event to ensure that they revised and could maximise their participation during the group sessions.

More than 35 parents engaged in interactive sessions moderated by Dr Jeff Sebuyira, chairman Nnabagereka Development Foundation.

“It has been a lifetime experience. I didn’t know that I could achieve so much in such a short time,” one parent commented.

The Ekisaakaate cultural crusade in the Diaspora started last year in Toronto, Canada.

The programme is designed to equip children with the necessary tools that will enable them to safely navigate through this world’s murky waters.