Our Cultural Wealth

Culture is defined as "The tastes in art and manners that are favoured by a social group".

In Africa, and Zambia in particular, the various social groups are identified by a particular culture. A social group may be a particular tribe or number of tribes living in one geographical area.

The Lozi people of the Western Province, for example, are known for their "Kuomboka" ceremony, whilst the Luvale people of the North Western Province are known for their "Likumbi lya Mizye" ceremony.

There are other traditional ceremonies that are celebrated by other social groups in the country.

These ceremonies date back several generations, and have become part of the culture of the people.

These traditional ceremonies used to be celebrated by the local people in the past. However, with the integration of various social groups into one country and faster means of travelling, these ceremonies have become national and international events.

Thousands of people travel from other parts of the country and the world to come and witness them.

This has brought business to the local people where these ceremonies are held. This, in terms of providing accommodation, transport and food to the visitors.

A number of Lodges and Restaurants have sprouted in the local towns and cities where these ceremonies are held. This brings good business for their owners. The only setback is, these businesses only thrive during the time of the events, which in most cases last for a few days or hours.

Various traditional organizing committees have been formed by people living in urban areas to foresee the successful execution of these ceremonies. Fund raising functions are usually organized to raise funds which goes towards paying for the various functions of the ceremony.

These committees usually comprise of people who hail from the areas where the ceremonies are held. These are usually supported by some well wishers who come from other parts of the country, and in some cases, international organizations do assist.

The amount of money raised for these functions is usually insufficient to meet the cost of running them.

As a result of urbanization, a lot of people have migrated from their original ancestral areas into urban areas in search of jobs and business. Over the years, a lot of people have lost touch with their traditional way of living. Only people who were born and brought up in the places of their forefathers are conversant with these traditional ceremonies.

There is therefore, a need for their publicity using modern means of communication such as educational e-books and commercial websites.

Commercial websites would go a long way in ensuring that these ceremonies become known throughout the whole world. Other businesses such as those dealing in selling of curios and crafts from these areas would benefit from this. This will help to enhance and maintain these traditions which are in danger of losing publicity as years go by.

Citizens should look at the feasibility of establishing businesses that promote their traditional customs. This would go a long way in tapping the wealth that is in our rich African culture.