Drum Beat of Uganda

^The Drum Beat of Uganda
^{Cultural Performers and Entertainers}

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members | project objectives | aims

The Drum Beat of Uganda is a cultural performing troupe that was started in 1996 to rescue children who are either from very poor families, have had domestic problems or orphaned and support them to become performance artists whilst gaining practical skills. We are mainly specialized in performing cultural dances, drama and use performance arts (theatre) to disseminate information to educate our communities to stimulate national and international development.

The symbol of a drum was chosen because in Africa, a drum is used for different purposes like when there is trouble, joy, communal work and calling people to go to church, the drum is sounded in the different ways.

We also perform cultural dances at functions, be it wedding, graduation party, birthday, introduction ceremony and/or any function can be made colorful. Our charges are relatively fair depending on the distance at which the function takes place.

The Members
Many children have lost their parents and relatives in Uganda as a result of war conflict in the northern region and others are orphaned by the scourge of HIV/AIDS while others are from very poor backgrounds that cannot afford to pay their school fees. While we are recruiting members, the priority is given to those categories of young talented performers. These are enrolled into good schools and the troupe takes full responsibility of their well being.

Although the Uganda primary school system of education is through Universal Primary Education (UPE), parents have to contribute towards feeding of their children, electricity, water, telephone and many others but many cannot afford to raise the money. The Drum Beat of Uganda program is so far helping 40 children ranging from 10 years and above by training them to self sustain, paying their school fees, accommodate them and feed them. They do not only study performance related ventures, but also others that can lead them to professionalism like teachers, Agents, Marketers, Agricultural extension workers etc…

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Project Objectives

To assist the Ugandan children who are orphaned by war conflict and those whose parents and/or relatives were stolen by the scourge of HIV/AIDS, talented but cannot afford pay school fees and for their welfare. Because of their talents in music, dance, poetry and drama they can be able to go to school.

To help the unprivileged children get shelter as they stay together and interact with other fellow children from the rich class of parents at their schools.

To support and educate underprivileged and talented young people to become performance artists whilst gaining a practical skill such as a teaching qualification and others.

To contribute to the communities’ social, cultural decency and preservation of the same by providing educative and developmental theatre performance.

To educate our society that, The “ Educated” class, a powerful minority who make less than 19% of the total population of Ugandans tend to look at the majority rural dwellers as an obstinate, improvident, fatalistic and retrogressive in the path of civilization. The country still looks at the rural- dweller majority for food production in spite of their “backwardness” way of living.

To assist, through the medium of development theatre, with practical development initiatives by promoting dialogue between decision makers with technical expertise and access to resource, and communities with local   knowledge and experience.

To promote interest and respect for traditional Ugandan culture with the emphasis on its value and relevance today.

To research into learn, teach, record, preserve, and respectfully present Uganda’s traditional arts and build archives for future users and researcher.

To establish a management structure that will ensure the group and its activities are sustainable.

To establish the operational and financial independence of “The Drum Beat of Uganda”.

The creation of a nation-wide cultural network to promote development theatres in Uganda through the support of, and advice to local initiatives.

To enhance the image of Uganda through a positive portrayal of its culture.

To develop an integrated approach to the performance arts by combining   artistic quality with social arts and development theatre to meet and exchange ideas and information.

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Aims:

1. To rekindle the sense of self esteem, pride and confidence among Ugandans which were completely shattered by colonialism and the post – colonial turmoil.

The colonial educational system which emphasized the isolation of the learner from the society, and which branded every African cultural practice as evil, primitive, shameful, and backward, has resulted into the creation of two non – complementary and almost antagonistic classes – namely:

D.1.1     The “Educated” class a powerful minority whose lucky parents could afford to pay for in schools. They live in the city and towns from where they control the rest of the country – politically and economically.

  D.1.2       The rural-dwelling and “unschooled” majority who survive on subsistence. In spite of their “backward” ways of living, the country still looks to them for food production. They are, also, the remaining custodians of the cultural practices that are unequally Ugandan.

Since these people live, and directly interact with nature in their day-to-day activities, their impact on the environment, social stability, and economic development cannot be ignored.

However, for over one and half centuries the rift between the two classes has been growing wider and wider. The rural people have been made to suffer from an inferiority complex and always to look at the “education” class with envy ,and suspicion. Poverty on the other hand is reducing them to a state of apathy.

What these two classes share in common, however, is the horrible “emptiness” and lack of self-confidence. This, we think, is responsible for the absence of self drive, initiative, innovation and will to face and solve developmental problems. Also, we think, that a person without self esteem and pride has no sense of shame and, therefore, no fame and integrity to defend. This is why evils like corruption have remained a characteristic cancer in our society.

2.  To foster development through the use of functional and innovative culture. There has been an error of viewing African traditional culture as a museum antique that stopped growing and was super seeded or replaced by European civilization. On the contrary, cultural activities still dominate and influence individual and community behaviors to a very great extent. Cultural activities still stimulate an intrinsic and selfless motivation. They are the only small windows through which we can view the inside of the real person.

We therefore think that:

§         If extension efforts are going to increase food on a Ugandan family’s dining table

§         If the health situation is to improve and curb the escalating infant and adult mortality rates

§         If development efforts are going to improve the general quality of life

§         If researchers and policy makers are going to achieve effective dialogue and consultations with the masses, and – if the rulers and the ruled are going to strike a compromise to avert the political messes that often degenerate into genocide, we need a means of communication that :

§         The people are familiar with

§         The people can identify with and say “yah, that is ours”

§         Does not require qualified skills such as reading and writing

§         Is interesting, attractive entertaining and friendly

§         The people can effectively participate in without feeling any sense of alienation

We are convinced that the answer lies in the innovative use of cultural practices and activities.

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