Soccer in Ibanda

Leisure, one of the words we more often hear from folks' voices here. It sounds like it represents something really important between people with an idea of time so different from ours. Someone simply have some rest, some others chat with anyone they meet on the main road or at the pub, and some, obviously, practise sports, mainly soccer.
There is even a local team, led by the Scottish Stephen, whose championship has begun this sunday with a brilliant victory 8-2 against another team of the district. When they talk about soccer, the inhabitants of Ibanda smile and show unexpected fervor. It is not difficult to understand that here people divide themselves in two cathegories: the ManU -Manchester United supporters- and the Arsenal. In a way or another, we have had to adapt, joining the ManU after a warm invite of our cultural broker and of the priest of Ibanda, father Ciriako, with which we have followed the first English Premier League match in an incredibly crowded pub.
Less followed seems instead to be the African Cup: "English guys are stronger" explains our friend Benson, "and we prefer to support African player between them".

Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu

Being white sometimes brings to some favorable feedback. Being qualified as wazee, old men (mostly because of the beard, that for the people here is an index of old age and wisdom) is one of them. That's why we obtain (even thanks to the acquaintances of our high-ranked cultural broker) two seats on the first rank at an exclusive meeting of the most important businessmen of the district with the King of the Rwenzururu, Charles W. Mumbere.
The meeting is full of formalities, and it is difficult for us to understand the speech, almost completely in lhukonzo language. However we are greeted as special guests and the king bless us with an expressive glance of his hand. In few minutes we are able to unferstand the cultural importance of the institution of the kingdom, that on October the 19th will achieve 45 years. It has no political power, but poses itself as guardian of local traditions and promotor of the industrial development of the district.
The critics of people don't lack, and someone explain us that the istitution of the kingdom, today closer than ever to the politics of Ugandan Prime Minister Museveni, has emptied the strong meaning of the revolution that has led to his birth. The rebels that fighted beside Mumbere, militants of the opposition party and promoters of the indipendence of the Rwenzori region by Uganda and Congo, have been silenced long time ago and left behind in the administration of the kingdom.
Another glitch in Mumbere's policy is the management of the economic resources. He plans the rebirth of the region by the exploitation of raw materials as copper and cobalt, and the construction of big infrastructures: promises that are always neglected. Few words, instead, are said for a differend kind of economy, aiming to manifacturing in loco the resources, as coffee, and for the issue tourism, that could give strength to local funds. The Rwenzori chain is in fact one of the most attractive places of the whole continent, and so the Queen Elisabeth Park, located in the Western Rift Valley. 

In the midst of the mountain

If the view from Ibanda is breathtaking, the landscape around Nyakalengijyo is something unique: nature, sky and mountains merge with the only aim of enchanting our eyes.
A short walk conducts us near the boundry of the National Park. In the bush we find out a breach, which brings to the shrine of an old witch doctor, who leads us inside the magical world of the mediums, surrounded by pipes, monkey skulls, mysterious potions and leather drums.

On the way home we bump into a small community of people living together and sharing each other their wealth coming mainly from the incomes of the mountaneering services they provide, in a kind of proudhonian autharchy.
As soon as we get home the obiquitous James arrives at our place and leads us to a spot where some traditional singing and dancing trials are having place between the kids of Ibanda. It's a joyful occasion for everyone, mostly for the youngest, fatally fascinated by the presence of our cameras. We hardly manage to carry on with our work, surrounded by unstoppable children and parents who deliver in our hands their newborn sons. Pointing at the colour of our skin, they explain: "you and the kids look the same". 

Bazungu

Four days after leaving Kampala we finally managed to find a working network, so here we are again. Many things have changed since in the capital we took the bus to Kasese, and we already feel part of the warm community of Ibanda.

The long travel of Saturday (more than seven hours by bus, not considering almost two hours idle in town  before the mean of transport would leave) has enabled us to observe the astonishing environment of the country, helped by a very kind geography lecturer met on board. Short before reaching our destination we pass through the Western Rift Valley, which differently from the best known Kenyan one is characterized by a luxurious and green landscape. Around us we can see wild animals like impalas, gnus and elephants, while the autobus passes along the lakes Edward and George.

Before the end of the exhausting day it's needed a break in Kasese, where is supposed to be waiting for us our interpreter, that instead we are not going to see before the day after. Long searches lead us, thanks to the help of the young Morris, to solving a troublesome accident occurred to one of our cameras, but in the meantime it's already night. Finding a way to reach the slopes of the Rwenzori chain is not easy, and the only boda boda (two wheels cabs) drivers still around profit of the situation and of the colour of our skin to raise de price of their work.

At night we reach Ibanda, welcomed by father Richard. At once we get in touch with the local folks, having the possibility of intertaing an interesting conversation with a seminarian from Bwera, nearby Congo, Baluku James, that will become a trustful friend and a constant source of valuable informations. The day after, accompained by the sounds of the local mass, appears our interpreter, Baluku Benson, and we start planning our research. First of all we join Benson at the burial ceremony of an important and respected man, attended by hundreds of people. We are welcomed by the relatives and even announced by the speakers, then we are sent to the side of the wazee (old men and important people) for having lunch after the ritual.
Once solved some little problems we start with the research. The first interviews let us meet two old and respected members of the community, the birth attendant of Ibanda and a traditional healer, who are happy to share with us their knowledges helping us in understanding many aspects of the Konzo culture.
It's funny the response of some local boys and girls (as the already mentioned James) to the listening of some European songs, as the behaviour of the kids that point us as bazungu (plural of muzungu, meaning "white, foreigner") and are astonished by the presence of hair on our arms. We do the same marveling at situation that for the Bakonzo are familiar, as the presence of goats and pigs along the ways, or the use of foods for us completely new: some examples are the boiled matokes and the cassava flour, which comes from a white coloured tuber.

The first accidents

After just twelve hours in Kampala, we are forced to a radical change of our mind: the Makerere University is closed due to a teachers strike of, and being unable to enter the library we decide to anticipate our trip to Kasese. Start planned for tomorrow at dawn. A journey of about seven hours by bus -that will bring us to the slopes of Rwenzori- is waiting for us. So we are going to leave the capital, after having toured in his main streets all day long observing their frenetic life and practicability. The newborn research starts giving his first results, thanks to some valuable evidences received today about the local culture. We don't lack surprises, finding out about the presence of animals of any kind, as marabous, monkeys, camels and parrots, or about some unpleasant accident as being stopped at a checkpoint by local cops and almost forced (but we didn't give up!) to give handout.

The longest day

Three, two, one, let's go! Backpacks on, leading to Malpensa. After a short break in Cairo we will finally reach Entebbe, the airport of Ugandan capital. At night we will land to Kampala, first stage of our long journey. We are going to spend three days in Kampala, hosted by the local University, then we will leave again to Kasese, starting point of the last part of the journey: twenty kilometers North, few meters away from the Rwenzori National Park, stays Ibanda, basecamp of our research.

Local Meteo:
Torino (45° North):
min.19°, max. 25°.
Kampala (Equatore): min.17°, max. 25°.
Kasese (0,1° North): min.20°, max. 28°.

Get ready

We are Gilberto and Alessandro, two students from Turin. On Thursday we are going to leave for an anthropological research trip in Uganda, between Kampala -capital of the country-, Kasese -chief town of an highland district at the Congolese border- and Ibanda -a small village in front of the Rwenzori National Park. Travel with us following our blog, we will update you with photographs, videos and reports from our research!