14.Feb. 2010

Long time indeed. What a ^boring princess^ I have been...anyhow today we meet again.Amidst the silence the Lord has been good to me, he is my life you know. Work is coming on smoothly though a lot has to be done!

Today dia blog, I have a galz day out with my friends!! Its supposedly one of a kind, wowowowow cant wait to be part of the fun! My friend Faith is organizing this at her home for all the single ladies, watcha.

Sartudurday I have to head to Iganga for an introduction ceremony, can't wait!!

Bye for now, am off.

"Okudiza guba mwoyo..!!

Many a time I've heard people say "Okudiza guba mwoyo..." but I didn’t fully comprehend the full meaning of the proverb until a friend of mine gave me the book, " A Distant Grief by F.Kefa Sempangi” In this book is a story that explains the proverb, please follow with me as we explore this proverbL(This is a true story of Kefa, the founder of Redeemed church, Makerere Hill Road)
One day I went to the slums of Kivulu to collect an orphaned child, Topista.

The child's home was only a 10-minute walk away. Kivulu's streets were noisy, dirty and narrow. The houses were small, dilapidated dwellings of iron roofs and mud walls. Here and there were piles of garbage, pigs, and goats in the market place. It was teatime when I arrived at the child's home, her guardian Miriyamu, greeted me at the door and showed me to a wooden bench in the outer room. The dirt floor had been swept clean and the whole room tidied. In the corner were a charcoal stove and a short wooden shelf holding a few cups and plates. They were smoked and stained from age, but not dirty.

Topista appeared dressed in her best garment and her face had been freshly oiled -possibly a bit too much, with Vaseline. She knelt down and greeted me shyly; she was about six or seven.
At just that moment the kettle boiled, Miriyamu exclaimed and hurried to remove it from the flame. With a polite apology she excused herself, and stepped in the back room. After a few minutes of noisy rattling she returned, in her hands was a brand new porcelain cup.

In the darkness of the front room, the porcelain cup gleamed on the mud walls, on the dirt floor, on the soiled garments of Miriyamu and Topista. There was nothing in the room that it did not outshine. Miriyamu wiped it carefully and placed it gently on an old rusty tray. She took other cups on the shelf and filled them all with tea. Then with deep pleasure and good will, Miriyamu gave the porcelain cup to me.

It was the special favor the very poor reserve for the "Abaana babowo" the privileged class. After the tea, the cup was gently put back on the shelf.
It was time to start moving; Topista knelt down before her guardian and bid her bye. Miriyamu's eyes shone with joy, "This is a most happy day my child, this is the day your life begins again"

As we walked out t the door I remembered the bedding, Topista had no bedding!! It was a policy for kids to come to the orphanage with beddings...Topista had no mat fit to start a new life, Miriyamu had said!
On the way to the children's home, in my mind I was saying,
“This frivolous Miriyamu, this woman of no understanding. Why does she have a porcelain cup when Topista has no mat? And then, I thought: No wonder the poor are poor. No wonder strangers come and collect their children"
That evening I told my wife, Penina about the porcelain cup and Topista not having a mat. She only said,

"Isn't that something, the poor have such deep understanding. The humble poor know a deep secret. They give from themselves, not from their surplus. They give from the abundance of their hearts."

These words from Penina opened my eyes, and I was reminded of the old kiganda proverb:Okudiza guba mwoyo..."
In the Buganda tradition when the house has been blessed by a rare food, like meat, each person takes a piece from their own plate and passes it to his neighbor, saying, Okudiza guba mwoyo, omuga gudiza enyanja-"Giving flows from a good spirit as a river flows to the lake."

Giving, the proverb says, is not a matter of great possessions. It is a matter of the heart. The river gives of its waters to the lake even though the waters of the lake are many times greater.
Villagers offer wealthy guests their most prized possessions. They give to a city dweller their only plate. They slaughter their last goat for men who own factories or have fat salaries. And it’s seldom an attempt to impress. It’s only a sign of respect.

It is to say " We are humble people, but we will meet you at your level. Take this, it’s all we have that conforms to your high standard."

Miriyamu had understood the proverb; she gave freely, yet she was desperately poor. She opened her home to an orphaned child, Topista, with barely enough to feed and clothe her own family. She kept a porcelain cup to give to others when she didn’t have anything beautiful for herself. And she rejoiced for the child Topista, when her own life continued with no hope for change.

In this story is a lesson for us all, there is a giving to serve others and there is a giving to serve oneself. There is a giving to promote and a giving to dominate. But without love, there is only paternalism, self-importance, a giving of the surplus, not the giving of precious treasures!!

WHICH GIVER IS U AND I???
God Bless You.

The year that was 2007

Today is 2nd Jan, 2008, I sit at my desk reflecting on the year that was 2007, my small mind can’t help but ponder on the events of the year that was labeled a year of perfection and completion i.e. 777!

Looking through my journal, I entered 2007 with sickness at my bedside. Though that alone could not keep me covered in my bed on 31/12/2006, I mustered up some strength and went for overnight at the white-house, telling myself atleast I will enter the new year praising the Lord with my fellow brethren at our stronghold, the pentagon. Wow, I can never forget that night’s experience, there were lots of people, blacks, whites, reds and yellows, loud music, dancers were released in full swing, testimonies and then….fireworks. My my, I and many others, had never had a physical encounter with fireworks up until midnight, Dec,31, 2006 or is it 1/1/07. I pity those that missed, excitement filled the place, you couldn’t tell who was sanguine, Mel, chlo, or phleg, people only manifested a spirit filled temperament!! If I recall correctly, the prophetic move in church started right that night. Wait a minute, did I tell you about people’s goals and expectations?? Man that night like I said guys were spirit-filled, they openly shared about their goals for the year of completion, hue for the ones that stuck in my mind, some did come to pass, unfortunately some people’s expectations were not met, but guess what the Lord’s will sometimes may not be ours, yet His will is best for us all, so for some disappointments lets look ahead with hope, the best is yet to come.

It’s exactly one year today that my church declared a 40 days fast. For most stomachs, it was bad news, should I call it a calamity! Forty days of fasting?? We had had some whites come over in December, and man what a way to welcome them to our country, a fast for 40 days, I wonder what thought first came to their mind then. But tell you what, it was a fantastic experience, it’s in such moments that scriptures like “my grace is sufficient” become real. To tell you the truth, God moved. It’s during this time that some members left church, hey if it were not for seeking the face of God then, the church could have split, but like David says, if it were not for the Lord……I thank the Lord that he gave me staying power because the best was yet to unfold.

Skipping some things here and there let me go to the actual 777.
As a church we went through a time of preparation for this event. We fasted for 40 days, the last seven being dry fast. Today there are two scriptures that I don’t doubt because of the seven days of dry fasting. One the grace is sufficient, two the Lord is my strength, am talking about physical strength here. My personal testimony comes from the actual 777 event. Man we had to dance through the entire worship session, before the event I kept wondering where in the world I was going to get the strength without food. Yet when 777 came we kept dancing before the Lord, on and on until the very end. God gave us supernatural strength; it felt nice knowing that this is not my strength but the Lord’s. My little mind thought Lord you’ve indeed done great things, but you know the one we serve is full of surprises. There came the rainbow, wow we had prayed for a sign, and here it came. Worshippers ululated, jumped, danced, wept, wailed, prayed, laughed, if you had ever wanted to witness acts of worship and prayers of all kinds, that day there were in full blast. Whichever prayers were said that day, I believe it’s just a matter of time and they are answered, the Lord was right there. You could smell his presence.

Oh my birthday, I hadn’t celebrated a birthday in my entire life time. Well this particular time, my G12 made me a cake, it was my first birth day cake, wow it felt great cutting my own cake. I can never forget the experience. Then my friends sang me a birthday song during overnight and at church, it was exciting, breath-taking and funny. And for the first time, I gave a testimony in church. Well if I must say, this was my best and happiest moment in 2007, I felt so free, cant even explain it, but I got a glimpse of the joy of the Lord. Hue and the gifts, cards, hugs and smiles. Lord please revenge on them all.Thanx.
During this time a friend of mine I hadn’t seen in like 5 years came over, she is a sweet person; it was just lovely seeing her again. God bless you, my sister.

Oh dear Lord, what have I forgotten. Abstinence pride. Well well we matched the streets of Kampala once again declaring purity in our nation. Homosexuals had previously matched demonstrating for rights, what a shame. They were clad in masks, am glad I didn’t have to hide behind a mask when matching for abstinence because I knew I was in for a worth cause. Glory to God! To all fellow abstainers, thumbs up, continue the fight. We are at war against AIDS and Jezebel!

December had its share of ups and downs, in all 12 months it was my hardest. There are times in this month when I felt like quitting, but hey the Lord is surely my strength. I was just wondering the other day, why the Lord made me get the name agogong early 2007, I can only conclude that he foresaw my experiences in 2007. Hue to all my 2007 buddies, thanks for providing me shoulders to lean on, you are the best. Though even in the valleys, the Lord still reigns. My Maama got saved, and three more family members. If there is any better way to end the year, this was my best. My Lord give them strength to stand, may they be deep-rooted, Thank you Lord, I love you.

2008 here I come! The year of new beginning:
Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

This year I choose not to dwell on the past, if He promises to make springs in the desert, am going to drink water from them. You see the lord says he is not man that he should lie nor a son of man to change his mind, so guys if he says new beginnings, am jumping aboard his ship, through the storms, waves up until the seashore, am sure this captain is capable so am crossing over with him.

Happy new year to you all fellow bloggers!!!
I love you.

AIDS prevention funds debated: What is your say??

Role of abstinence key in Africa plan
By John Donnelly
Globe Staff / December 12, 2007

WASHINGTON - The most important battle today in fighting the AIDS pandemic, health specialists told a Senate committee yesterday, was stopping the transmission of the HIV virus in the first place. But with hundreds of millions of dollars in prevention money at stake in Congress, the experts couldn't agree on just how to do that.

Congress is considering a $30 billion five-year extension of the Bush administration's global AIDS plan that would roughly double the funding from its first five years. While there is bipartisan support for a second five-year commitment, one provision has sparked fire.
Backed by powerful conservative Christians and several epidemiologists, the White House wants to set aside a percentage of the money for messages promoting abstinence and sexual fidelity. But a group of global health specialists convened by the Institute of Medicine reported earlier this year that the strategy unwisely eliminated countries' flexibility to choose how to spend the money.

The United Nations estimates that 33.2 million people globally are living with HIV and that 2.5 million became infected this year.
At a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee yesterday, several specialists testified that, unless the numbers of new infections drastically decrease, treatment programs will not keep pace.
In the first five years of the US program, Congress required that a third of total prevention budget be used to support abstinence; the requirement was later expanded to include initiatives promoting monogamy. A plan before the Senate, submitted by Richard G. Lugar, a Republican from Indiana, would allocate half of the prevention funds aimed at sexual transmission of the disease for abstinence and fidelity programs.

Dr. Mark R. Dybul, the US global AIDS coordinator, told the committee yesterday that he "strongly favored" Lugar's approach because evidence supports abstinence and monogamy as ways to prevent the spread of HIV. But he added that prevention strategy could change, saying "I'm not sure 50 percent [of the budget] will be needed in five years."

Other prevention strategies include trying to stop HIV transmission from mother to child at birth, promoting consistent use of condoms, and expanding programs for male circumcision, which studies have concluded is a highly effective means of reducing the risk of transmission.
Dr. Norman Hearst, a researcher at the University of California-San Francisco, told the panel that Uganda's reduction of HIV infections in the late 1980s and '90s can be attributed largely to a decrease in the number of adults having multiple sexual partners.

Hearst argued that Congress must set targets for abstinence and fidelity rates for African countries that receive US aid because plans to fight AIDS there were "put together by Western consultants" who often believe condoms should be the chief means of prevention. "A condom-first approach has never worked" in areas where sexual transmission drives the spread of the disease, he said.
But Dr. Helen L. Smits, the co-chair of the Institute of Medicine report on the US global AIDS program, said that Hearst's characterization of the plans was unfair. If there were no spending requirements, she said, countries could tailor programs to their needs. "If a country discovers it has a big program with needle-sharing [spreading HIV], they could devote all their money in one year to stamp it out," Smits said.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who chairs the committee, indicated he, too, favored a comprehensive approach that allowed nations some flexibility for spending the prevention money.
The complexities of building prevention programs, some specialists said, have become apparent in the emerging evidence that a large number of sexual partners in Africa do not have the same HIV status - one partner is HIV-positive while the other is not.
One survey estimated that 450,000 "discordant couples" in Kenya alone fit into this category.

"This is a major challenge that frankly we don't know how to deal with," Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, said after the hearing. "Condoms are critical for these couples. Marriage was not made for abstinence."
Prevention campaigns targeting these couples could include a mix of strategies, said specialists - including pledges to abstain, health counseling sessions, and consistent use of condoms.

Piot, who co-discovered the Ebola virus in 1975 in then-Zaire and who has worked on AIDS since the mid-1980s, said he still believes that fighting the virus depended on using several intervention strategies at once. "You need to combine interventions. I'm deeply suspicious of the search for a magic bullet," he said.

John Donnelly can be reached at donnelly@globe.com
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

“Is there one pre-ordained marriage partner for every one?”

I believe that there is one pre-ordained marriage partner for everyone. Given the perfect nature of God, the creator of all things, there is no doubt in my mind that he set apart for every one another that is perfect for them.
The Bible does not indicate that there is a specific spouse picked out for each person. However much God doesn’t openly promise to provide us with physical mates, there are related biblical promises from which we can take great comfort. God created families, loves families and patterned His entire plan for the salvation of mankind after the model of a growing family. Since Christ will return and marry the Church, He understands our longing for marriage.
I bet we all know that He knew us before we were even born and His word is full of promises of His perfect plan for us. This does not exclude marriage and all that is done before it actually becomes a reality. The Lord declares in His word, if I could site a few scriptural references below:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”(Jeremiah 29:11)

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm139:16)

“…In all things…He works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purposes… (Romans 8:29-30).

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths” (Prov 3:5-6).

When God says he has plans to give us a hope and a future, I believe as a God of eternity he must already know everything in this future, and how can he know unless he already preordained it for every one of us?
As humans we often make choices that are against the will of God. Therefore if God had planned for us to be with one person only, and we miss the chance through disobedience or not seeking him about everything even marriage, then His life's plan for us would be ruined.
But the Bible says that even the most “foolish” plan of God's is far wiser than the wisest plan a human could devise (1 Corinthians 1:25), which means His plan cannot be put off track. When we decide to make the choice to trust God completely with everything, I believe He will put in our path the right people and the right situations that will make us meet. If we seek His direction He will lead us the way He wants us to go and bless our lives (Matt 6:33-34) I believe that those blessings mentioned here include our marriage partners, so along the way as we seek the Lord according to his will, he brings along the right people that will help us to perfectly accomplish his purposes.
If you truly believe this scripture:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Take a moment here to think; surely if He appointed you as His spokesman then, in your mother’s womb, do you think he didn’t also think of who will stand with you as you accomplish this God ordained purpose?
I'm convinced that the reason people are so resistant (argumentative) to this idea is that they fail to recognize God’s sovereignty over EVERYTHING that happens in a way that's totally consistent with our making our own choices. When we read Isaiah 10 and compare it with Genesis 50:20 and Acts 2:23; 4:24-28. Does it say it something?

The only way I can relate the resistance to this is that people somehow think what's being said is that God picks someone special out for you but then has no interest in what you do to get to the point of finding such a person, which assumes God isn't ultimately sovereign over everything but has this obsession with this one thing about us, and we have to spend all our energy to figure out who that person is before we can live our life normally.
Some of us think God has a special obsession with picking out a mate for everyone but then not telling us, but I'm convinced that's what some people are denying when they say that God hasn't picked someone out ahead of time. If you keep in mind that God is sovereign over everything that happens in our lives, something that does not conflict with our responsibility to act, as scripture clearly shows, then you don't end up with such a one-sided view. God knows full well who every person on this earth will marry; if they indeed will marry (some are called to celibacy). But in some cases it will be because of a bad or even sinful choice that we end up with the people we eventually marry. However he's just as much behind the process of arriving at the point of meeting this person, developing a healthy or unhealthy friendship with the person, whatever steps are taken that lead to considering marriage.

God is not in the business of forcing people to do things. I'm talking about his sovereign care over all things and his love for those found in him who benefit from his working out of all things for their good. This involves steering us in certain directions, and it often involves our learning from our mistakes, not that he approves of those mistakes to begin with. But that's how God works in a fallen world out of perfect fellowship with him, and his sovereign plan can involve our mistakes, since he's always known what we would do and chooses to work through us “sinful people” anyway.

We all know that God cares about the very little things like what the sparrows are doing and has his sovereign hand on things as insignificant as what we eat, drink or what we wear (Matt 6:25- ) As we seek to glorify him and love him, why can't we look forward to all the wonderful things he's got in store for us without having to expect particular things we've got in mind? It's hard to anticipate blessings you don't know particulars about, but the promises God gives us are all very general, and we would do well to meditate on some of them and look up to him to make them come to pass. Is a marriage partner too much for Him??
Some people think that God picks out a John/Joan, but will not help you in finding them. So He is sovereign in terms of the pick, but not the help in finding that special someone. In addition, since we think He won’t help with the rest, it's up to us to do the hard work to find. That is why there is resistance. I think that the resistance might come for other reasons also.
(1) What if I don’t like John and John is the one God has chosen for me?
(2) Free will issues vs. God’s.
I believe that our desires will always be inline with what God predestined for us. Most often, if God has picked Joan, you will one day be singing, "Oh Joan, I love you! ...”
Putting psalm37:4 in mind:
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart"
Pray regularly for God to prepare you for your preordained mate. Never settle for second best. No one is perfect, but you deserve the best possible mate that God has for you. Some people accept a marriage proposal for the following reasons: they believe that no one else is going to ask them, because they are not beautiful enough and no one wants them,
“I’m no great catch, I can’t be choosy” or
“I don’t love them but this person is stable and can provide for me”.
None of these are the reason to say “I do”. Its then that someone should ask themselves:
“What is the Lord saying here, is he or she the one?”

It may seem that waiting for God to provide is just too risky. But, with time and a few missteps, we should realize that there is more to God's providing than this. Waiting for Him to provide doesn't mean merely praying and waiting. It includes taking active steps to prepare. Merely waiting often leads to wasted time and opportunities. During this time of waiting for God’s providence, we can and should be developing our talents. If we truly want God to provide, we need to look to Him and develop our relationship with Him. By doing so, we will be developing the traits that are most important in a God-based marriage. But, if we aren't careful, we can lose sight of of his perfect plan. If we are behaving or thinking in a way that separates us from God, then sadly, what we reap could indeed be only what we sow. So, let's look up the hills, where our help comes from.

Still asking, “Hey, when will God provide?” He will provide when we are ready and if it is best for us. Only after learning in a concrete way that God provides only for our good and on His terms. Of course, God will not ask a girl out for you, or tell that special girl that you would like to marry her (boldness and favor he will give, if you ask my brother!!), so there is plenty that remains in your hands. When you have the opportunity to do these things, make sure you are an honorable man who has been looking to and trusting in God to provide.

In conclusion, marriage, as God designed it, is to be a beautiful union of two people who are committed to Him, full of love that He gives us, a place to grow, an incubator for our children. The ultimate goal is for everyone to experience love here on earth and to finally have a family reunion in heaven. Ask for God’s guidance in bringing the mate for you into your life. Wait on the Lord, don’t settle for anything, because the Lord gives the VERY best (Psalms 27:13-14).

Thank you,
Agogong

Should the transgender be given rights to use opposite-sex public facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, etc

Dear Iryn,
Last week in our “Have We Gone Mad” segment, our Communications Director, Lynn Allred, featured a radical proposal by the Montgomery County Council in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. They were considering a “nondiscrimination” ordinance that would grant “transgender” individuals (people who dress as or identify as the opposite sex) the right to use opposite-sex public facilities such as bathrooms, locker rooms, dressing rooms, showers, etc.
For example, a male who is confused about his sex or who decides to dress as a female, could enter any public women’s bathroom or locker room and use those facilities. Never mind if there are little girls or women dressing there that might object.
Sound crazy?
It certainly did to many Montgomery County residents. So much so that it generated massive opposition as emails, letters and phone calls that flooded the council. It even sparked radio commercials protesting the ordinance and drove outraged citizens to the next council meeting.
As a result of the outcry, when the council unanimously passed an amended ordinance that generally prohibits discrimination of individuals with gender identity disorder in housing, employment and public services, it did not specifically mention access to “public accommodations” such as bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, dressing rooms and so on.
This “compromise” is a partial victory, but still does not satisfy opponents who believe the general language could still be interpreted the same way as the original ordinance.
While it is tempting to write off Montgomery County’s actions as some weird aberration, that would be a mistake. I used to live there, and I know many good families that still live there. And that is exactly the problem. Good people are becoming confused on these issues, because we all want to be “tolerant” and “fair,” and no one wants to “discriminate.”
But if we tolerate everything then soon we stand for nothing, and chaos ensues.
Society currently discriminates against pedophiles, but there is a movement to change that too. Healthy societies do discriminate against behaviors that are harmful to others or that undermine the traditional family, which is the basic unit of society. If we don’t hold the line on these issues, history tells us we will be moving toward our downfall.
Be warned that what is happening in Montgomery County is increasingly happening all over the world. If we are going to stop it, we must understand the problem.
Let’s be clear, we are not advocating discrimination towards those afflicted with gender confusion. We are advocating getting them help, especially since gender identity disorder is recognized as a mental illness by mental health professionals. Even though it is extremely rare, affecting only a tiny fraction of one percent of the population in any country, this trend to establish new “rights” for these individuals at the expense of the majority who can be negatively affected by their behavior needs to be stopped.
Implementing transgender “nondiscrimination” policies is like cooking a frog in a pot. If a frog is tossed in to boiling water, it will jump out. But if the temperature is turned up very slowly, the frog will eventually boil to death, because he’ll be cooked before he knows what has happened!
So it is with society. Things which may seem small and relatively insignificant in and of themselves, such as passing a transgender discrimination ordinance, have a cumulative effect, just like adding a few more degrees of heat to the frog. Eventually, these actions radically change society.
There is also a very real human cost. If we continue to cater to the sexual proclivities and disorders of individuals by passing new laws and polices that protect, promote and even encourage this behavior, we will not be helping them. We will be doing them a disservice.
Rather, we should focus on getting them the help they really need.
Sincerely,
Sharon SlaterPresident

Iryn wrote: What a mockery, am so saddened by these transgender rights!!I receved this article from Family watch international, it was indeed shocking to know that these transgender fanatics have the guts of asking for such rights. How far are we going to compromise in order to let every one's rights be satisfied? I totally disagree with this move.
I cant imagine myself in a bathroom with a man who is pretending to be a woman, that is scary. I call it total confusion, and we can't let confused people (Transgender)to lead the way. Such people are going to defile, rape, and molest our children in the name of transgender rights.
I appeal to whichever government is considering legalising such matters, to look into them again. Think about the young generation and the situation we are putting them into, imagine if your girl-child walked into a toilet only to find a man using the same facility, how traumatising. Lets not put ourselves at RISK! Let's stop this madness when we still can!
Thank you.

FINALLY BIG BROTHER-AFRICA CURSE IS OVER!!

Big Brother Africa:My reflections!!!
Nov 15, '07 1:27 AMfor everyone
This morning in our daily newspaper I landed on an article by Mr. Ambrose Nuwagira, who expresses his disgust of Big Brother Africa II.
As a sensible Ugandan, I totally agree with him. Many of us were watching this so called Reality show, but if I may ask, now that its over can somebody tell me what they have learnt? If we critically analysed our minds, weren't we better off before the show came. I strongly believe that every one who was deligently watching BBA has morally degenerated.
Mr.Ambrose calls it a curse, i have to add that its a tragedy,a calamity, a disaster,a move of the devil to defile this generation. However many of us dont know our enemy, so we fall prey to his schemes.
I pray that after this, we all come to our senses as Africans, and embrace our moral values. For some of us who are not only African but also christian, let us repent for the sin in our land. We have defiled our children to the extent of watching "shower hour" with them. What a shame. As parents in this generation, let us realise that we have fallen, however the strong people are those that fall and get up, determined to remain standing. Am for the standing ones, where are YOU????
Thank God Big Brother Africa curse is over
Wednesday, 14th November, 2007
By Ambrose Nuwagira
THE game is gone, the talk is finished and the service will temporarily be unavailable. The service of entertainment supposedly from Big Brother Africa. Since it is gone, let us focus on its impact and the lessons learnt. What was it all about and what were the consequences of the show that drove the hearts of over 50 million people, young and old, from all over the continent? Nigel Nassar in his article “A wrap-up of Big Brother” in the New Vision of November 12, 2007 describes it as the “98 hectic days” whose aim was to reveal how people from different cultures and backgrounds can live together, in isolation, without privacy and the “smartest” of them all walks away with $100,000. One representative was taken from each of the 12 countries, Uganda inclusive, and the integrity and pride of the nation was defined by the character and the behaviour of one individual. Their successes become the pride of the nation while their flaws too are attributed to the population represented. In the house, ‘our’ representatives begin off the journey-all with distinctive profiles attached to them. As days go by, the temperatures go high; it suddenly becomes a survival for the fittest, manipulations and backbiting begins, only the strong must survive and that is when ‘our’ representatives begun a personal game, with an attitude of me, myself and I. Conflicts arise and profiles begin to change, vows have to be broken, commitments have to be forgotten and the picture of the people being represented gets blurred, all for $100,000 prize, or is it a bribe? As a result, drama starts to unfold; Tanzania’s Richard who entered the house proudly declaring that he was married, is just swept away by Angola’s Tatiana, putting aside his Canadian wife, Ricki, for the time being! Malawi’s Code cannot hold on to his commitment to his five month pregnant longtime girlfriend back at home, in the presence of ‘our’ own Maureen who too is in a relationship back home. The house suddenly becomes a free world. Back home, the show is selling like hot cakes. To some it is a reality show but elsewhere it is a family show where parents and their children gather to discuss about the events in the house and the revelation of shower hour keeps even the married up late, probably glued to the same TV screens as their children. This is the new society of big brotherhood! Figuratively, there is too much irony in Big Brother. Socially, big brother is not a brother because there is nothing real in the reality show. It is an institution which is draining society of morals. Imagine a man with his wife and children attentively watching shower hour! This is very unreal. What has this show portrayed? That life is all about manipulation, hypocrisy, and exploitation, whereby the most clinical in these will always win. This is a blatant lie. To the African child, the biggest question in the last 98 days has been what can an African do for $100,000? The answers were just manifesting on the TV screens; hatred, envy, greed and infidelity. There is absolutely nothing African about big brother. Big brother is a sign of moral degeneration, greed, and gluttony. Africans have a sense of decency, shame, honour, dignity and moral sensibility. These are two contrasting situations. Now that they have broken the codes of decency, have made adultery look attractive and, of recent, portrayed fidelity as insignificant, what will be the next item on stage in an era where HIV/AIDS rates are increasing and vices like homosexuality trying to hold ground? Big Brother Africa portrays high corporate social irresponsibility and has offered our society a disservice. The writer works with Campus Alliance to Wipeout Aids (CAWA)