The Ministry of Tourism and the Zambia National Commission for UNESCO have successfully completed a four-year project to safeguard the traditional Tonga poetry of Southern Province, known as Kuyabila. According to a statement made available to the media by First Secretary Press at the Zambian Embassy in France, Naomi Mweemba, Kuyabila serves as a medium for transmitting oral history, knowledge and cultural identity through drumming. The project, supported by UNESCO with US$83,790 from its International Assistance Fund, began in 2021 and focused on raising awareness of the Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
As part of capacity-building efforts, 42 stakeholders were trained in community-based inventorying to enhance understanding and ownership of safeguarding practices. Speaking at the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi, Ministry of Tourism Chief Cultural and Folklore Officer Thomas Mubita thanked UNESCO for supporting Kuyabila in Monze and Namwala districts. He highlighted that a key achievement of the project was the documentation of Kuyabila, which included the recording of 40 poems,the publication of a book and the production of a video documentary capturing performances, interviews and safeguarding experiences.
An inventory covering themes such as marriage, initiation, funerals, farming, health, and education was also completed. Mr Mubita added that the project facilitated the integration of Kuyabila into education and cultural activities, noting that communities reported renewed pride and motivation to practice and transmit the poetry, alongside growing recognition in cultural events and interest from education and media institutions.
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