MOURNING IMPENDING 'DEMISE' OF MY VILLAGE

 We are living in a ‘cursed’ society

By John Blsnshe Musinguzi
After about four months at school, on Saturday I travelled back home from Kampala. As days came closer to depart back to my ancestral land, as usual, I stated imaging what has changed and what remains unshaken by nature as they say that if one does not change, change can force that person to change.
Things have changed as capitalism continues out competes communism as the leading ideology. People no longer share what they have with their friends, relatives and neighbours. I remember about five years ago when my dad was still alive, he would brew local beer-waragi and before selling it to business men and women, he would spare not less than two litres which he would drinks with his friends.
Poverty continues to gain popularity in our village and surrounding environs. Even the rich are becoming venerable to poverty and some of them while those who were relatively poor have joined the league of absolute poverty. Absolute poverty is where a person is poor, his parents were poor and his children will also be poor. Relative poverty is a situation where a person moves in and out poverty line.
Due to poverty, religion is gaining strength. Those who are becoming poor have joined the salvation journeys as they hope that God is the only one who can hear and respond to their prayers.  On Sunday I met one man who had gained fame due to few dollars he had but lost all of it mysteriously. He told me that if God answered Job- a biblical who lost all riches but remained loyal to God. He was later rewarded more than what he had for remaining to God. He is optimistic that God will soon reward him with more than what he had.
Village based developmental small associations are breaking down one by one. This is because members borrow money but fail to pay in time. Most associations are in form credit and saving where members save money hoping to earn profits after a defined period of time when profits are distributed among members depending of shares that those members have. One of them where members were supposed to share profits last in august last year is still running after those who borrowed money and haven’t paid so that profit can be distributed amongst owners.
Poverty has increased migration to Kyaka located in Mubende. Most people who are increasingly finding it difficult to cope with trauma of poverty have sold what they have and resettled in Mubende. They have been told that land is still cheap their and still fertile on top of low cost of living compared to our village. Even those who are accumulated unmanageable debts have gone to their in hope getting money to re-pay such debts.
Gambling has lost popularity. Notorious gamblers are becoming poor hence they cannot afford to lose little money they still have through this risky game. Gambling in our village is composed of playing Matatu and pool table. Those who participate in these activities stake money and get money which is doubled when they win. It is a zero sum game where if one lose, opposite player win.
However we ask ourselves why all famous gamblers are all poor?, who is gaining from it as all of them remain poor?.One of the gamblers told me that money from gambling is cursed, ‘on a lucky day, you take all money but you cannot plan to set any developmental project from it. Then you take it back and lose it to another player. That how it rotates between all members,’ one gambler told me.
  When I asked that gambler why he cannot distance himself from such a risky and ‘cursed’ game. He told me to only pray for him. I also insisted asking him why he cannot pray for himself before I pray for him. He smiled and went away.
Banana bacteria wilt remains a major threat to fighting poverty in our village. Our village depends on banana plantation output such as selling ‘matooke’ and brewing local beer-waragi. A peasant who usesd to sell 50 bunches of matooke now can only produce less than a half likewise for brewing waragi, a peasant who could produce two jerry cans of waragi can now produce only one of less than a jerry can. 
On a good note
Our community remains committed to helping each other when faced by uncertain events such as demise. Whenever a person dies, all members come together and financially contribute to burial expenses for the family which has lost their loved one. This activity has been termed as the association of the willing. All people remains committed to it as they know that death will visit them any time before informing them to prepare to prepare for it.
The author is a Bachelors degree in Journalism and Communication student @ Makerere University