Wang Oo

Friday night, I had the privilege of attending an acholi cultural ceremony called a Wang Oo (pronounced 'wahng oh'). This is one of the events that my program is sponsoring here in Gulu - in order to help preserve the cultural practices of this region. Wang oo is defined in Luo as a fireplace - a place for to find warmth and refreshment (especially for those in need, like orphans).

This event took place in a town called Bobi - basically the people sit in a circle around the outdoor fire, with the Rwots (the cultural tribal chiefs) at one end. Every 30 minutes or hour has a different theme for discussion, and the local people (youth, women, anyone is welcome to speak) come up to the microphone and ask protocol questions and discuss issues that are relevant to them. The Wang Oo starts with a meal around 5 p.m. and lasts the entire evening until 6 a.m.! We discussed everything from the problems facing women in rural settings, land rights, education issues, compensation for killings, alcoholism, problems of orphans, and appropriate dress code. The elders in the tribe are happy to give loads of advice to the youth. The whole meeting was in Luo, so my colleague and I had translators helping us understand the action.

I found this so helpful to understand the family structure and the local culture better. For example:

1. Ugandans have little tolerance for ambiguity - this makes so much sense, after having attended a forum where all their queries are answered on a weekly basis - this is the way their culture rolls.

2. Women's issues are also prevalent: one lady mentioned how women are marginalized, even from birth - because the family sees them as 1. a source of income and 2. a person who will eventually just join another tribe through marriage. For this reason, their education is neglected and they have fewer opportunities than men, even though many men spend their paychecks on alcohol (another issue we discussed) to the detriment of their families.

3. We had a lot of discussion on dress code: girls should not wear skirts high enough to show their knees, or tops that show their shoulders - this is considered flirtatious and perhaps 'like they are trying to attract a sugar daddy.' boys should also not try to attract 'sugar mamas' who buy them nice things while their families have no food.

4. Respect for the elders is completely ingrained - little kids grow up attending Wang Oo's every single week, learning and learning the traditions of their tribes from the Rwots.

5. People are not shy about correcting one another - one guy stood up and flatly contradicted something that the Rwot had previously mentioned. Everyone is free to express an opinion - but I realize as I type this, that freedom does not mean that someone will act based on their opinion - African culture is very much like this.

I realize these observations are stream-of-consciousness, but that is also largely how the event happened...

Between segments the MC would play cultural music, and everyone would get up to dance. It was so fun!