Elderliness a state of being to be perceived with understanding.

I have known my Grandmother from about the age of 3. I first met her when my mother found it sound enough  to keep us with our father for the period of time that was hardest for her to live with us. In Africa, it is normal for grand children to from time to time meet with their grandparents during seasonal holidays, but in worst case scenarios, grand children have had to grow under the care taking of their grandparents incase of death of their parents or the absence of one parent, especially- the mother.

Mine was a situation that arose from other situations beyond what I could recognize or pinpoint as a 3 year old.

Living with a grandmother is real fun as a child though is also quite lonesome especially if her day to day job is farming; and thus her day's labors start by 5am till 11am. This in itself meant there was no one in the house to care for  how you awoke or cleaned up in the morning. Breakfast in such situations was a luxury, so leftovers from the previous night's supper came in handy for an early morning stomach refill.

My father lives in the same courtyard as his mother as is custom for the last borne son to keep and nurture the continuation of the customary land. Since my father had by then remarried having separated with my mother, my sister and I could not live in the same house as my father and his new family. Thus begun my time of life with my grandma Balbina Atyang Oloo.

Strong and hardworking in nature, my grandmother tilled the land for food, and used the ordinary 3 stone cooking stove fueled by firewood to prepare all our meals. She did also brew local beer- Ko'ngo, and Waragi-ethanol, for income, and would thus sometimes host a bunch of drinking men and women in her living room for a communal drink up.

For the 2 years I lived with my grandma, I also realized that she was very culturally ritualistic- in the sense that she made sure to attend most of the events that happened around within the community like, parties, vigils, naming ceremonies, and funeral rights. Most of what I remember is that after the death of my grandfather after my arrival, my grandmother was never around as she attended more and more vigils and stayed away for a long time, and in case somebody else died, she'd come for a change of clothes and be off for close to 3 or more weeks.

I had not taken a deeper look and interest into understanding the challenges and changes faced by the aging and elderly in my community. Being an Instructor and participant in the Parallel Portraiture of the Elderly with the students of Uganda Christian University, and Minerva Art Academy brought me to light with these challenges. Earlier before the project, I had the opportunity to visit my grandma  who is about 97 years old right now, when she came around the city for a medical procedure on her hip which she dislocated 3 years earlier when she was met with tragic news of the death of her eldest son, my father's eldest brother Charles. photo.php, photo.php

The doctors could not carry out the medical procedure on her since my grandma was weak and very elderly, this in itself means that she in constant pain and has difficulty with mobility till now. She right now is not in position to control the passing of urine, and stool and needs constant  care form an attendant due to inability to move to the bathroom.

Elderliness in Africa was and is prestigious since the elderly were and are still considered as the keepers of wisdom and history, and within them the embodiment of the cultural traits and norms of the peoples of each individual community. Urbanization has posed a great challenge to the elderly who cannot keep  up with the growth of technology and the migration of many persons from rural to urban areas leaving only the elderly back in the rural areas, and likewise many elderly persons in urban areas retiring from civil service and no longer have a stable income except pension money, and no one to care for their daily an immediate needs.

This a quote from one of my posts on the Parallel Portraiture of the Elderly project Facebook page, on the essence of community on the welfare and sustainence of the lives of the elderly;

"In our discussion on portraying the elderly, I have come to learn that community is a very key component in regard to the question of how the old get to enjoy there aging! This arises from the fact that life is best lived when we realize we are NEEDED- in our daily service at places of work, or in just being a granny. Whoever falls short of this fact quickly starts their way down to an untimely death; wholly."

It is important for elderly people to feel needed because this then gives them a cause to live for…in my project, I have sought, above presenting portraits in paint on canvas of my grandmother, to also design for her easy to wear, wash and quick drying garments to help her through her current challenge of constantly soiled and wet clothes. Her challenge may not get any better, but a series of extra garments for a quick change will do some good service in this challenge.

The Big Picture

It is quite long since the lives of the great academia of thought as run by Plato and later Aristotle, which were marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects manifested. I find a challenge in many academic settings these days, and this is simply based in the lack of focus on detail, but rather the focus on what we call today “the big picture.”

The issue that arises in this regard especially in the school of Art where I happen to be a participant in the daily strains and endeavours, is that we paint vague imagery of huge images on our computer screens, papers and canvas, without a single thought of the individual pixel/pencil mark/brushstroke that sits in its place to bring out that particular part of the image for the image to be complete. There was a time when ignorance of detail meant overlooking the gist of a matter, it is absurd however that we seek for the grey tones in societal norms today. Rather than be the man I am, I’d rather focus on my lust to be the woman I am not since some activist on television elaborately, with the support of science and our medical gurus, described that it is right to feel the way that I do.

We are therefore I am, is a language and philosophy best understood in an era that has long passed on, leaving no inheritance of such prime knowledge to the young nation…I wonder how my ancestors lost their way in what they held dear to the founding of their societies, and ran off for polished suits and tongues that made no sense to their kinsmen. Education was a means to an end for my ancestors, and in their wisdom, were blind to the serpentine cunning of the educationist. My ancestors overlooked their own way of life, forgetting that they too in the past had educated people into the way they now called their tradition. The educationist brought with him a tradition foiled in a mannerism called formal education that both awed and divided my ancestors bitterly.

The benefits and new visions propelled in the lives of my ancestors with education were far overwhelming that, when a kinsman refused “the education” he was called backward. Aha, my kinsmen’s treasured ways were now considered backward and barbaric, at the sight of a blackboard, chalk and a reflection of his image from the white man’s magic mirror. This new education was much upheld that the women in my ancestry were branded unworthy to benefit of it, rather that they keep the “barbaric ways” that my masculine kinsmen were metamorphosing from.

Today, I fail to recognize the women from my ancestry, as they learned the secret of the educationist; this new tradition brought about openness of mind and mouth at large; that now, my little niece will speak arrogantly to her Father, and the educated young women be the breadwinner of the house, and who knows- the very Man in the household. I realized that my ancestors weren’t the warrior kind, and this is why I say so; the warrior is keen to learn the skills and tactics of his friend and foe, both at a distance and close proximity, and lives constantly aware of the possibility of an eminent attack of body and soul, thus, a warrior had no friend except if they were fighting the same battle, and had a common enemy. The warrior’s way is thus one that quickly adapts to the enemy’s tactic, but is resilient to use his own way to win; that’s why warriors were able to conquer and live in these conquered regions easily. That, wasn’t a trait within my ancestry, yet now I know, was the way of the educationist.

Fanon Frantz in his psychological writings in the book, Black Skin, White Masks (Peau noire, masques blancs, 1952) elaborates on his dilemma as a Negro who knew no Negro ways except for the French colonialist’s way having been acculturated and studied under their education; he further sets assumptions on the black skin’s lust to get even with the colonialist by either acting rebellious to his ways or ripping through the white woman’s petticoats and drowning his black lusts in her white body. Oh what folly befalls a wounded warrior, it is at that point that he sees his err, and now believes barbarism will solve his folding. It is no wonder that our governments cannot effectively plan for the very natives they lead rather that our politicians fight against another with each seeking the most powerful relations with the colonisers- intellectual beggars, I call them. The actions of our ancestors are them that have left us at the mercy of our own vicious attitude and desire for revenge, without the possibility to heal and seek for a way that allows my people sing a folk song around a night fire, or tell lessons of the present in stories long past.

I choose not to inhibit any rage or desire to revenge for the oversights of my ancestors, but rather as a man, be a better Warrior in my time, and a support to the woman beside me, providing her with the same opportunities so we can train our children to know the way of my people, and Yahweh. I will allow for my mind to see the “big picture” as a result of focusing on the detail of each pixel/brushstroke. It will take time, but I will come around it, and see the big picture in its fullness having lavished on the intricacy of each pixel/brushstroke, and been a very part of each developing process. I am a Man, a Teacher, a Husband, and a Father, I will live for that. Are there possibilities of failing or following in the ways of my ancestors? I presume ‘yes’, Will I hold back from doing what I ought to do in my time and season in this life? No!!

Simuda Nyuma Exhibition

 Looking at Africa- Uganda from the eyes of they that recorded it's history.

Hamu Mukasa;

Here is someone who has through his efforts enabled the world, Africa, and especially Uganda to view its History from the point of view of and insider, who was a part of this history itself in his time, as a child, young man, and an Old man seeing  Uganda transition into a colony and have a dim glimpse of an Independence of sorts in the future.

Ham who later with Apollo Kagwa became regents to Kabaka Mutesa I and visited the Royal family in London in their time, with skill and admiration learned to read and write, and decided to document moments of his time that he found important to record down, including his personal affairs at work and home. Some of his records are older than himself, showing that Ham Mukasa was interested in history and so did research through recording past events as told by others that experienced or saw events happen.

One of his greatest works is the book Simuda Nyuma, which Andrea Stultiens happened to find and with it a list of captions that Ham had desired to be illustrated within the book, but up till now hadn't been done. Being the person she is, she ran with it, and got a series of persons included; Uganda Christian University Students, and her own Dutch students from Minerva- Groningen. Today, with a series of exhibitions running, Andrea is exhibiting works from her efforts, and those of Artists- of whom I am part, and students of art with the help of Framer Framer- a gallery/foundation that enables art collectors and curators to show their collections.

Did Ham know this would happen today...I sure doubt his vision was that specific, but I know and believe that Ham knew in his heart that "A Journey backward would never be the option rather one that was aimed forward" thus the book Simuda Nyuma (http://framerframed.nl/en/?s=nathan+omiel)- simply interpreted as Backward Never thus Forward Ever.

Looking at History as told by one who was a part of it is mind blowing, and sometimes a direct action question to the one having this experience as to what is one doing to also leave back a piece of treasure for those that will be here in the near future? It is always nice hearing what an outsider has to say about your history, and land, yet it is rather refreshing and fascinating to be given experienced accounts by your own who lived in such times, and kept record of the happenings. 

I will finally say this; History is a reflective past with strands which directly or indirectly control the maneuvers of our present and future experiences, therefore, how our past informs our present and future is very much dependent upon how much of our history we know.

Where are the strong women of Africa...?

Title: Strength of a woman
Size:
Medium: Acrylics on canvas (Painting)
Year: 2011
Artist; Nathan Omiel (omi-elart)
Description; The roles and duties of an African from time have varied largely from managing the affairs of the home/household to grooming the children, gardening, and above all taking care of her beloved husband who in most cases spends the hours of daylight away with friends of if lucky... at a job of sorts.
The Strength of a woman depicts the day to day aspects of an African woman's responsibilities that will start at dusk till dawn, when she is able to lay down to sleep, A baby hangs in a blue fabric to signify the importance of childbearing among the African traditional society to date. A woman that did not bear children was an accursed woman regardless of her beauty and hard work; putting to mind that children were and are still looked at as a continuation of lineage and generations of families, clans, villages, and ancestries. A girl child born to the community would at a certain age be taken through rites of passage into womanhood, and the same duties carried out by her mother, and grandmother are passed on through apprenticeship and rigorous training in preparation for the field of marriage, so the non-broken chain of the strong women that have built the societies that make Africa today should continue.
It is strange today though, that there are very few strong women in this regard in most of our societies, since many of them no longer have regard for their roles within the societies they are in except for the ability to express and advocate for their right to this and that! No offence meant to the several strong women out there seeking a better life for some of our daughters in unfortunate situations and need a voice to speak for them; but it can be agreed that most of the women in our society regard marriage with very little concern and likewise; the training for its management. Many homes do not stand today because our strong women have shifted their strengths and abilities elsewhere other  than the management of the affairs of their households from where our Nations are birthed! It is no doubt that today, Africa is full of greedy leaders who weren't told by their mothers when to know which portion belonged to the others...I dream of a day when I will train my daughter to carry on her roles as a woman with the understanding of her position, and rights as pertains to her responsibilities in her household and community, then shall I dream of the days when our Mothers ran the home and built strong families with character!