Beneath the Tree

Before there were classrooms people would often gather at the base of trees to take shelter from the heat and share life with one another. In this way the history of peoples was passed from one generation to the next.

Arriving in East Africa we have been inundated with the history and culture of these different peoples as we have learned both within the classroom and walking down the street. One class in particular focused on the literature of East Africans in a post-colonial time frame, examining how the writing of the author characterized and illuminated their own view of life and tradition.

Additionally, as we were all split up and dispersed throughout the region for practicum, we were entrusted with the act of researching and gathering a selection of oral literature reflective of the culture we found ourselves in. Through conversations with elders in the community our teams gathered proverbs, songs, stories, legends and more to bring back and share with our fellow classmates.

In our afternoon of Oral Literature Presentations colors and laughter abounded as we reenacted the history that had been so lovingly passed on. In keeping with tradition, one group entertained under a tree, allowing us all to gain a glimpse of the beliefs held within Uganda.