Lent: Patriotism and King Nebuchadnezzar

If the rumours of a patriotic bill are true in Uganda, it reminds me of King Nebuchadnezzar who forced all his ubjects to worhip a statue made of gold. Those who refused because they only worshipped God, were sent to burnin a furnace.

Daniel 3

New International Version (NIV)

The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace

3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8 At this time some astrologers[b] came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

From Biblegateway

Lent: Learning from Donald Trump and DvN

Lent: Learning from Donald Trump and DvN

DvN sent an audio link from Donald Trump. Today I listened to it. Today, we are a few days into Lent and this is one of the piths of learning. Listening to Donald Trump.

Stay focused. Keep your momentum going. Have the energy to get the job done. Be thorough. If you lose focus, you lose momentum. This Lent, my prayer is for the BNPA team to never lose focus, always have momentum and for the right leadership for the Babishai Women’s Leadership Academy.

We always have problems but it is important to look at the solution and not the problem. Use what you have and don’t dwell on what you don’t have. Winners keep on going. NEVER GIVE UP. See yourself as victorious. It will zap all the negativity. See your problems as challenges. Use frustration to go where you want to g, instead of staying where you are.

See an opportunity for what it is. An opportunity. Learn something new everyday and be open to new ideas. Be thorough and learn everything about what you’re doing. Continue to be passionate and love what you’re doing. If success is what you want, be successful and you will be happy, healthy and strong.

For BNPA, that began as a small dream shared amongst a handful of friends, I can only thank God this Lent for enabling me to continue growing strong, choosing the right team and seeing the award grow to Africa. We haven’t stopped growing. Mwebare.

Lent.

Lent: One good girl and three bad men

Lent: One good girl and three bad men.

They came and poured themselves into my every space that flowed with goodness. One of them saw my inter-connectedness with writers, publishers and academics and swooped in. When he was done with sucking my blood, the rest hovered above like vultures.

The next, on seeing me wounded, used the opportunity to soothe my pain with health products, after which he said that they will cost 20,000 Kenya Shs but if I registered under his name, I could make that in three weeks. I sold many health products in his name and the money was wired to his account. You can guess what he wires to my account, good experience, opportunity of a life-time and a free T-shirt. That’s the T-shirt I wear to dance zumba in my living room. I can’t afford the gym or health products anymore ever since all the money was wired to his account.

The third runs one of the most publicized business shows in East Africa. He asked me to edit his book. We discussed at length what it would take. After two months, I am still waiting for the cheque. I should have fled from this gang-bang when this person told me he wanted to bring Shakira and Beyoncé to perform at a large football stadium. His up market over polished over-sized pointed brown shoes against his purple socks and black tuxedo that Tuesday evening should have been the warning sign. He is wearing shoes too big for him.

The fourth in this hideous gang-bang wanted to see what it would be like with his sister. The one whose organization I have been giving free publicity. My friend told me that I should stop giving people and organizations publicity. Anyway, she came to ex-communicate me, stating that the publicity had given them all the funding they needed. Lent.

I am still doing zumba in my living room.

Lent brings discernment. It opens spirituality and draws us closer to the truth.

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS; EDITORIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

AFRICAN WRITERS TRUST AND COMMONWEALTH WRITERS

EDITORIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

UGANDA, 16TH -20TH JUNE 2014

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

African Writers Trust in partnership with Commonwealth Writers will conduct an Editorial Skills Development workshop in Kampala, Uganda, from 16th to 20th June 2014.

Led by Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, a book editor with over fifteen years experience at Penguin, Random House and Granta in the UK, the training will target editors from the East Africa region: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

This course is meant for mid-level and more experienced book editors and proof readers working as freelance or within publishing houses. This will be a residential workshop. Air travel expenses, accommodation and meals will be provided to successful candidates.

If you want to be considered for this training, please send a Letter of Motivation not exceeding 1,000 words to goretti@africanwriterstrust.org and mildredbarya@africanwriterstrust.org stating:

1. Name, nationality and gender

2. Contact information: Email address and telephone number

3. How long you have been working as an editor/proof reader

4. What you find most challenging in your work as a book editor/proof reader

5. What you hope to achieve from participating in the workshop

The deadline for receiving applications is 4th April, 2014. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

Only successful applicants will be notified by 30th April 2014.

Photos of Michael Onsando visit-photos by Jackee Batanda (apart from the one with her)

Michael Onsando visits Kampala

Photo credits: All photos with Michael and Femrite members in discussion, photos by Dilman Dila.

Photos of Tom Forrest, Michael Onsando and scenic view of Buziga Hill, photos by BNN. Photo gallery of the visit coming soon.

BN Poetry Foundation recently partnered with Femrite, Transcultural Academy and Poetry-in-session to bring Kenyan poet and blogger, Michael Onsando to Kampala. The fully packed literary itinerary included a very late night bus ride, dinner at Wandegeya’s finest, a heavy Q and A at Femrite Author of the Month session, relaxed evening at Poetry in session and a day out at Tom Forrest’s house with an unbeatable view of Kampala. Delightful. Yes, indeed.

Michael is the first of several other East African poets who will be travelling to Kampala in the next couple of years for cultural exchange visits which are sponsored, authored and managed by Africans and Afrocentric non-Africans.

On arriving close to 11:00pm on 26 January when the rest of Uganda had long slept after celebrating, or not, the 28th anniversary of the ruling National Resistance Movement, the first part of this extraordinary visit was to Wandegeya. It was the only suitable place for fine food at such a fine hour. Wandegeya is adjacent to Makerere university and caters for all sgudent needs. Michael, coming from Western Kenya, adores matooke and binyeebwa, which made my life so much easier. His guest house in Ntinda was not far off in the traffic less city, close to midnight.

During the day of 27th, he toured a little and chanced upon Afriart gallery which true to its name, held fine art exhibitions and craft, which raised our guest’s expectations of Kampala’s art. The gallery is run by Daudi Karungi and every month, there is an exhibition of a different artist be it painter, scuptor, bark cloth genius or oilsmith.

Femrite’s evening session of Author of the month occurs every last Monday. This was the first serious literary space that Michael entered and was nothing short of spectacular. Having followed his blog at www.michael.co.ke, there were a number of questions I had, given his vulnerability and social awareness, reflected off these pages. The members at the discussion filled the session with lots of questions of their own as well.

Q: On your blog, you mention how you were incapable of celebrating Kenya at 50 in 2013. This is in reference to the 50th anniversary independence from British rule. Why weren’t you able to celebrate with the rest of the nation?

A: Why should I celebrate when there is so much injustice. For example, an open air market was razed for having been built on illegal ground but Westgate Mall was also built on illegal ground and never razed.

Q: You have been told that being a poet is not aspiration enough. If you were a decamillionaire, do you think their views would change?

A: Yes, because money has now become an end and not a means to an end.

Q: What is your view on literary prizes?

A: A number of people have been given a platform. Prizes do not validate the work and they are only as good as the judges. They are also mainly of value to those giving them and not to those receiving them, in my opinion. They are a grey area and have done more harm than good. In Africa especially, writers are only validated by prizes and yet even without a prize, writers remain excellent at their craft.

Q: Does everyone have talent?

A: Yes, we all have talent. We must not believe that all talent has to be artistic though.

Q: But as a teacher, I have had to let down some of my children who have no talent in poetry by telling them to try another specialty. A: As a teacher though, it is your duty to encourage that child no matter what to pursue poetry, if it is in her/his interest.

Q: When writing a poem, do you pay attention to particular rules? A: For a long time, I paid attention to rules and metre but even though everything is new, we must still be deliberate and not just let things happen.

Q: Uganda is a literary drought. What can we do to change this and market ourselves as well as Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o?

A: Who are you reading? Uganda and East Africa are far from literary droughts. There is a lot of work coming out for example, Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Oduor, which I recommend all to read.

Q: Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa thiong’O did not remain on the continent to and take part in the real struggle? What do you make of this?

A: Look at the circumstances that make them go away. Ngugi was in a very precarious political and personal state. After his first return, his wife was raped brutally and there were many other political repercussions.

Onsando also believes that we are fundamentally gifted by largely one specific thing be it poetry, carpentry, archery. A number of participants at the session disagreed. This rose from the fact that many writers and artists take on several other roles to sustain them financially.

After reading three memorable poems namely Whispers, Unlearning Death and Maktub, the evening ended with more questions which could only be concluded at another forum. It was an impressive, reflective and ebergetic evening at Femrite. Tuesday’s Poetry in session was more relaxed. With a few regulars and some new faces, Roshan Karmali, the host and founder, allowed each poet a maximum of 3 poems and to engage the audience more. This was a fantastic way to begin the new year as she led us to a theme of breaking new as opposed to finding ourselves in 2013. It was a night of pleasant surprises, concluded by the gifted Bosco and his guitar. Singing some of my favourite songs like, How does it feel to be the on that I love?”p>

After many late nights, Wednesday was resting day at Tom Forrest’s exquisite house on top of Buziga Hill, overlooking the extraordinary Kampala city. At his place which is spruced up with an enchanting mix of flowers, shrubs, old trees, roots, guava trees, trees hanging with leaves commonly called Old Man’s Beard, hibiscuses of all shades and rare cacti, we allowed ourselves to seep in the new and the fresh.

Tom Forrest is a distinguished Biritish academic who hoards literature, mainly poetry. Fascinating. A welcome alternative from the engaging previous two nights. Visiting with Femrite members Jackee Batanda and Sophie Alal who are writers,creators and entrepreneurs, Tom was only too delighted to host an East African writer at his premises.

Michael’s wish is to return to Kampala as soon as possible.

Many thanks to sponsors and friends who made this visit possible, the first of many.

By Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

SOME POETRY TRANSLATED INTO PORTUGUESE

Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva é uma poeta ugandense, nascida em Kampala em 1976. Estreou com a coletânea Unjumping (2010), e tem poemas publicados nas revistas Drumvoices Review, Femrite, Kwani, Copperfield Review, Post Colonial Magazine, Kwani?, My Father's Head and Other Stories anthology, Wasafiri & Prairie Schooner, entre outras. Participou de festivais e simpósios como Storymoja Hay Festival (2012), African Women Writers' Symposium (Johannesburg, 2011), Uganda International Writers' Conference (Kampala, 2013), International Know How Conference e International Women's Day (Kampala, 2011), e fundou um prêmio que se dedica a incentivar a produção literária entre as mulheres de Uganda. Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva vive e estuda hoje na Inglaterra.

--- Ricardo Domeneck §

Por favor patrão

Por favor se é preciso Então não na mesa

Você é o patrão E merece o felpudo tapete persa

A mesa tem muito de mim Grampos dispersos Lixo rasgado Minutos decorados

Se é preciso Então não na mesa

(

tradução de Ricardo Domeneck)

:

Please Boss

Please if we must Then not on the desk

You're the boss You deserve the plush Persian carpet

The desk has too much of me Cluttered clips Torn trash Memorised minutes

If we must Then not on the desk

§

Praia de Nyali-Mombasa

Um turista pegou um salmão. O mar cuspiu sal em fúria.. As fotos digitais reduziram o salmão a estatística.

:

Nyali Beach-Mombasa

A tourist caught a salmon. The ocean spat out salt in fury. As digital photos reduced the salmon to a statistic.

. . .

Publicada por modo de usar & co. à(s) 13:29 Etiquetas: beverley nambozo nsengiyunva, poesia ugandense