Leaders in Madi Okollo district have embarked on various activities, including enhancing the tourism sector and organizing cultural festivities to promote cultural heritage and unity in West Nile and beyond.
Madi Okollo district is also home to the Ajai Wildlife Game Reserve, which is home to White Rhinos, and currently, over 1,000 refugees, mainly from South Sudan, are settled and integrated in the district.
Bordered by River Nile to the East, the people of Madi Okollo are traditionally fishermen and also trade with counterparts from Amuru district in the Acholi sub-region.
The district, however, faces a recurring challenge of bush burning and deforestation by the locals, a practice the leaders and development partners are battling to address through continuous sensitization and cultural festivals.
According to the leaders, commemorating the diverse ethnic groups within the West Nile and beyond will not only bring together various communities but also promote traditional music, dance, food, and fashion diversity, reflecting the societies that are currently settled in the district.
Night Zahara, the Tourism Officer for Madi Okollo district, is optimistic that being endowed with natural resources like the River Nile, vast land with fertile soils, and diverse ethnic communities, the district has become a recipe for tourists, generating additional local revenue for the district.
She noted that to conserve the environment, there is a need to educate the community on how to bring in revenue apart from cutting down trees for charcoal burning, which is the most common activity in the area.
Among some of the activities the district is promoting include different ethnic groups sharing their rich traditions, especially the cultures from South Sudan and those within Uganda, through storytelling sessions, craft exhibitions, and local cuisine tasting, giving attendees a true experience of cultural diversity.
Joshua Masereke, the Resident District Commissioner for Madi Okollo district, encourages the public, especially the youth, to participate in the cultural events, emphasizing that cultural identity plays a crucial role in community development.
Peter Gift, the Refugee Desk Officer at Rhino Camp Settlement, explains that cultures do not differ much, especially African culture, adding that the only way of promoting unity is through embracing cultural norms embedded in the diverse cultures.
According to Gift, cultures like that of the Nuer from South Sudan are not different from those in northern Uganda.
But Ismail Drabe, the LC5 Chairperson for Madi Okollo district, asserts that the concept of cultural harmony in the district was initiated in 2022 to introduce organizations in the region, and since then, it has enhanced unity among the diverse communities.
Madi Okollo comprises ethnic groups from Ewanga, Ayavu, St. Francis of Asisi, Anyiribu, Rigbo, Offaka, Ogoko, and the refugee communities from South Sudan, among others. All these have been challenged on the significance of preserving cultural heritage in modern society.
