Article 11 of the Kenya Constitution recognizes culture as the foundation of the nation and as the cumulative civilization of the Kenyan people and nation.
The constitution, therefore, promotes all forms of cultural expression of Kenya people including local languages, literature, performing arts, visual arts, traditional celebrations, traditional cuisine, traditional medicine, traditional technologies, information and communication, mass media, publications, libraries and archives as well as other cultural heritage platforms.
Context
The efforts to document and train Kenyan people in culture has been motivated by the cultural challenges that confront our youth from mixed marriages, in diaspora, or simply adult people living in cosmopolitan areas. Our research has shown that most Kenyan are curious to understand who they are culturally.
The interest in learning one’s culture should never be viewed as promotion of negative ethnicity or promoting what some might mistakenly call dark uncivilized past as result of brain-washing by the West.
Scope
To provide a reasonable degree of information to those who want to understand their identity as Kenyan people of a particular Tribe;
To dispel the myth that every cultural practice was backward and uncivilized; and
To provide one stop source of information to those from mixed marriages who want to understand aspects of them in laws culture.
What's the renaissance to understand one’s culture is not about
It is not an attempt to teach proficiency in speaking and writing cultural languages. Where a few words /statements have been used to bring out the meaning better, an English translation has been provided.
It is not an attempt to promote traditional way at the expense of modern way of life.
It is not an attempt to promote anti modern religious practices such as FGM, witchcraft, early marriages for girls, but rather an effort to highlight the positive aspects of cultural practices and gain an appreciation of where we come from as a people.
The training is expected to take 2 to 3 months of guided self-study online, Zoom classes, Assignments and tests and videos culminating in an award of Cultural Certificate by Uwezo College.
Course objectives
To explain origin, myth and geographical spread of the featured Tribes.
To gain an appreciation of language and commons words such as greetings and their role in inter-personal relations.
To create self-awareness or identity as a member of clan and their role in a Tribe
To understand common foods and drinks and their preparations and ceremonial attributes
To appreciate pass time and recreation activities encompassing, song and dance, oral literature, riddles, storytelling, and communal eating and drinking
To explore health, wellbeing and social welfare as the bond that kept community alive.
To gain a sneak preview of the Traditional dressing styles, attire and Accessories including favorite colors.
To understand various economic activities carried out as a means of earning a livelihood and survival.
To understand governance and social structures in precolonial era and how the Communities used to defend themselves and tools used to fight enemies.
To appreciate who GOD was, how He was worshipped, priests and diviners, good and bad spirits, ancestors, etc
To understand family set up, different stages from birth to death (cradle to grave) and various activities undertaken during each stage.
The gain an appreciation of meaning of circumcision in journey to adulthood, the positive and negative aspects of the various circumcision rights.
To understand the process of courtship to eventual marriage and various steps, processes and stages undertaken and to answer the question of how divorce and childlessness was dealt with.
To understand family organization, roles of each family member, discipline and support.
To appreciate death, burial rites, life expectancy and beliefs around live and death and subsequent rituals.
