In Uganda, public holidays are usually viewed as the time to ‘run away’ from the ‘not so interesting’ jobs that people get glued to in search of a living stipend. The anticipation of this holiday season has become disgusting in a way, due to the behaviors exhibited by certain individuals, from business men to housewives, children, pastors, burglars among others.
In early November, huge gatherings can be seen in parts of Eastern Uganda, formed by village social networks to enjoy ajono – a local brew, as early as 8:00am. This is the start of a 2 month long X-Mas and New Year celebration where household heads (mostly the Men) drink themselves silly and perpetuate domestic violence and child abuse. The business men certainly come in to play by hoarding food items and other goods mostly needed during the celebratory period about 3 months before the holiday season. This leads to soaring market prices and an un-precedented cheating at a rate never known before in the non celebratory period of the year.
Due to the high need of dime to cope with the needs of the season – which includes new clothing for family members (sometimes worn only during the D-day and kept in suitcases until the next year, only to find that mice have eaten them up); a change of diet – one of the rare occasions that family members get to eat the most delicious foods available in the local markets, high incidences of robberies and burglaries are recorded both in Rural and Urban areas. It is unbelievable that some thugs dare to snatch items from their victims in broad day light in a desperate attempt to get money to meet the alarming demands of the day.
A market frenzy erupts one week to Christmas with traffic jam of all categories recorded in trading centre’s – vehicle jam, a jam of pedestrians, a jam of boda bodas, a jam of bicycles, a jam of wheel barrow pushers to mention but a few. This shopping spree leaves all the businesses “bankrupt” – I meant with no goods to sell in their shops, and some of them (business owners) can be heard complaining as if their goods have been stolen because of the opportunity they have lost to sell as much as there is to offer.
“The great human migrations” are the most interesting and can easily attract “FOREX” from tourists if only it was advertised. Transport fares are increased by over 100% and the only passengers who complain are those who don’t have relatives to visit during this period. In fact, the issue of space in the vehicles – even if it means sitting on the boot of cars, is the only matter in contention here.
The good about X-Mas and other long holidays celebrated in Uganda is that one gets to meet their relatives, friends and in laws to provide the much awaited financial, spiritual and psychosocial support and to understand the year long troubles that they have experienced in once absence. This is the period where relationships are tested and pretenders are separated from contenders and eventually the winners!
Global health concerns should be seriously noted here and the community sensitized accordingly. With the consistent outbreaks of diseases like ebola, marburg, cholera among others, the “great human migrations” pose a high risk to the population. Child abuse and violence against women tops the crime list and unwanted deaths are recorded due to rural excitement leading to numerous accidents. With a majority of the population, especially the youth, ‘getting high 24/7’ for at least 2 months of celebrations, I would say that this period records the highest cases of STI transmission, especially HIV. The Economic meltdown that follows X-Mas and New Year inhibits provision of medical care and education to the children which roles become a luxurious venture leading to deaths and school dropout.
It is a high time our people are told to celebrate holidays with less “impunity” and let them know that other needs too should be catered for in the pre-celebration planning sessions. How I wish that the good, the bad and the unacceptable events experienced in the X-Mas of 2012 and the previous year’s do not occur in 2013 and the future. For God and my country!