The legacy of Tadeo Nyebirweki

Tadeo Nyebirweki, 1930-2012
One man’s approach to sustainable development and climate change
Odomaro Mubangizi

INTRODUCTION

Two related global events have given humanity a reason to hope that global solidarity for the common good is possible. These events are: the World Summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the recently concluded Paris Summit on Climate Change. Clearly the two issues of sustainable development and climate change will engage world leaders, policy makers, researchers, and all people of good will for generations to come. While articles and books will continue to be written about these two issues, and conferences and meetings will continue to be held, little attention has been given to thousands of ordinary men and women across the world who have dedicated their lives, time and resources to sustainable development and climate change. One such a person is Tadeo Nyebirweki (1930-2012) from a small village of Rutooma, in Kyasano, close to Katuna border town (Rwanda-Uganda), in Kabale District--South Western Uganda. There are ordinary men and women like Tadeo Nyebirweki who have contributed enormously to sustainable development and confronted climate change without fanfare, and definitely without holding conferences, summits or writing about it.

It is the responsibility of those who know such unknown global icons to make their great deeds known for posterity and to use their example to inspire similar commitment to global causes by acting locally. This article is such an effort to shed some light on and analyze the life, opinions, and works of Tadeo Nyebirweki in contributing to sustainable development and confronting climate change. As the world continues to search for viable solutions to the issues of sustainable development and climate change, why not look at the ordinary men and women who have done extraordinary things in fighting poverty and preserving the environment? Methodologically, this approach of studying one person can be justified since it is consistent what in philosophy of social sciences is called methodological individualism—to understand the whole, you study a part.

PEDAGOGY FOR A GLOBAL VISION AND ETHIC

The key question that comes to one’s mind in analyzing the life of a great luminary in a remote part of Africa is where he got his ideas from. What informed Tadeo Nyebirweki’s global vision and ethic? Where did a self-made man get his knowledge from at a time when formal education was a rare commodity, and in fact not even valued a great deal? Tadeo Nyebirweki’s worldview was shaped by the following major forces and systems: Kiga traditional values and beliefs; British colonial policies; and Roman Catholic religion and ethics. It is from these influences that Nyebirweki creatively formed his own philosophy of life. What is the evidence for this assertion?

Nyebirweki grew up in Rutooma Village where Kiga traditional beliefs and culture were the norm. Some of the Kiga values clearly encourage self-reliance, respect for elders, hard work, cooperation, solidarity and care for the environment.[1] A young Kiga male at around the age of 13 was expected to construct a small hut for himself in preparation for marriage any time after 15. Before that, a young male or female is engaged in household work, gardening, looking after cattle, collecting firewood, etc. It is these chores that instilled in the young boy and girl a work ethic. Nyebirweki was engaged in all these activities but since he was an orphan having lost his father Karyabakora at an early age, he took on heavy responsibilities to assist his mother Seperanza Keirashanirwa. So his work ethic was clearly shaped by his circumstances of being an orphan who had to work very hard to survive.

Early in life Nyebirweki also developed sensitivity to injustice since his uncles took away his father’s land. This also helped him to value land a great deal and every income he made he made sure he acquired more land for his family. From the struggles of his widowed mother he learnt the need to work hard to eradicate poverty. Right from the 1930s to the present, the Kiga of South Western Uganda have relied on medicinal plants for common illnesses to supplement Western medicine. Nyebirweki learnt right from childhood the value of plants as a source of medicine. Kiga traditional architecture heavily relies on trees for construction of houses. This also made Nyebirweki value tree planting to supply firewood, construction materials, charcoal and several domestic tools.

British colonial policies also encouraged soil conservation by using terraces, fallow cropping, mixed cropping, mulching, and planting trees.[2] But some of these methods were also indigenous to Kigezi. Nyebirweki took this colonial policy of social conservation seriously. He was able to plant about 4 square kilometers of trees by himself in a period of 40 years. And all this land was bought from his income as a designer of clothes. The strategy Nyebirweki used to acquire a lot of land for planting trees was to look for plots of land that others regarded as not suitable for cultivating food crops. So whoever had rocky pieces of land would approach him. It is in such plots that he planted trees. Since Kigezi is very hilly and prone to soil erosion, tree planting is the best method of soil conservation, as Nyebirweki learnt way back in the 1940s and 1950s.

The colonial policy of exploiting African cheap labour and land tenure and use policies did not go well with Nyebirweki. While he admired the British colonial sense of order, discipline and clear systems of administration, he also detested their exploitative tax system and imposition of land tenure and use policies. Nyebirweki was aware of the anti-colonial struggles in Kigezi and the neighboring Belgian colonies of Rwanda and Burundi. Ntokibiri waged a war against the British and Belgians in parts of Kigezi between 1915 and 1919, just like Queen Muhumuza of Rwanda had done.[3] Some of Nyebirweki’s uncles had been conscripted to fight in the Second World War along British forces. Some of the colonial policies and practices that Nyebirweki used to criticize include: using land to cultivate cash crops such as pyrethrum, coffee and tobacco; swamp reclamation by colonial authorities and distributing reclaimed land by colonial chiefs instead of leaving the land under customary ownership;[4] recruiting cheap labor to work in mining, coffee and tea plantations, as part of the colonial economy. He saw this as exploitation even though these laborers earned some income to pay colonial taxes, build decent houses, educate their children and buy land. He argued that these benefits could still be got when people worked for themselves in cultivating their land. For him this form of exploitation of African cheap labor was a motivation to invest in self-reliance and to try to educate his children so that they could actualize themselves rather than be exploited. It was also clear to Nyebirweki, and he always expressed it in conversation, that the post-colonial Uganda leaders had inherited the colonial mindset of exploiting their fellow citizens. He put this thought simply: “political leaders are like thieves who take turns in stealing public resources. One steals as much as he can, then another takes power from him and repeats the same.”

From the colonial policies of resettling of the people from Kigezi to other parts of Uganda in the 1940s[5] Nyebirweki learnt of the issue of land scarcity and valued the acquisition of land. He developed a household policy of never selling land and impressed this on his sons and daughters. He argued that land was to preserved for posterity. Kigezi is the most densely populated part of Uganda up to today, excluding urban areas. Migrants from Kigezi moved to other parts of Uganda such as Kinkinzi, Rujumbura, Tooro, and Ankole. Nyebirweki travelled to Kijura in Tooro and worked in a tea plantation for a few years. It is this exposure to other cultures other than Kiga culture that enabled him to learn other languages (Rutooro and Luganda). After knowing the value of other languages, he also learnt Swahili and Kinyarwanda, since he worked at the border town of Katuna the rest of his life. For him the greatest sin was laziness. He coined another aphorism in Rukiga: wanyama ziranyama, translated as: if you sleep money also sleeps.

The other major source of Nyebirweki’s worldview or philosophy is the Roman Catholic religion which Nyebirweki embraced as a youth. At the time the European missionaries mainly from Italy, France and Belgium were the main instructors who instilled among the converts Christian values based on the Holy Bible and Western philosophy. Some of the prominent missionaries that trained Nyebirweki in Christian values include: Fr. J. Laane, Fr. J. Nicolet, Fr. F. X. Lacoursiere, Fr. J. M. Letohie,and Fr. H. Witbroek who was famous for his love of sports.[6] These Missionaries of Africa left a deep impression in Nyebirweki by their hard work, dedication, and an integral view of development since they combined preaching the Gospel with social development by building schools, farming and providing medical care. They were the first to introduce building with bricks in Kigezi. What impressed Nyebirweki most about these foreign missionaries was their work ethic. He would narrate decades later how these missionaries would be seen carrying stones and bricks as they constructed churches. This was in contrast with the colonial administrators who would only supervise Africans at work. The fact that these foreign missionaries would not only teach and preach about the kingdom of heaven, but would also engage in physical work, gave Nyebirweki an integral view of the Christian faith. He coined his philosophy of work in Rukiga as: Kora nkomuhuku, obone kurya nkomukama, translated as: work like a slave so as to be able to eat like a king. And for sure Nyebirweki worked very hard all his life.

Nyebirweki had a good knowledge of the entire Bible from which he often quoted. He also had some other Christian books that he regularly consulted for inspiration. One famous book ‘Mutebya’ in Rukiga had stories about Greek philosophers. He was an avid reader of ‘Agaitereine’, a Runyankore/Rukiga Catholic newspaper, and from time to time he would contribute some letters to the editor. Two other famous books were a point of reference for Nyebirweki and they were a must read for his children: ‘Abagyenda Bareeba’, translated as “those who travel see”; ‘Omusigazi Omushongore’, translated as “a gentleman”. He also subscribed to ‘Leadership’ magazine published by Comboni Fathers. This magazine covered a wide range of issues focusing on Christian leadership in Africa.

But the most influential book that inspired Nyebirweki’s worldview and philosophy is ‘Obukuru Bwa Ruhanga’ (translated as The Greatness of God).[7] This book contained a mixture of philosophy and theology in Runyankore-Rukiga, from an apologetic perspective. It covers the entire course of the main philosophical and theological perspectives. The contents of ‘ bwa Ruhanga and Mutebya’ are an equivalent of a BA in philosophy and theology course. Among the topics that ‘Obukuru bwa Ruhanga’ covers are: how do we know that there is God; Oneness of God and is without body only spirit; God is father of all; God is ruler of the whole universe and protects all created things; that God demands of human beings to do what is their capacity and handles the rest; God is to be loved and praised; Holy Trinity; all people belong to one family; God is good for all creatures; that all people should be good to one another just as God is good to them; God seems to keep silent amidst the evils of the world; God does not approve of evil deeds even though he does not immediately punish evil doers; God is truth; God is all knowing; God is just; God is all merciful; God is patient; God is eternal and never changes. The book of just 188 pages covers all the main aspects of theology with some philosophical and scientific explanations. On the theme of God who is all knowing, Kepler’s astronomy is presented. Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC), the father of medicine, is mentioned as an example of good people who feared God and did good. In discussing God is truth, the book quotes ancient Greek philosophers such as Sophocles (476-406), Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) and Plato (427-348 B.C.) as having been committed to truth without knowing much about God.[8] On the theme of praising God in all created things, two famous scientists Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) and Albert Einstein (1879-1955) are quoted as having found God in their scientific discoveries.[9] From these two famous examples of scientists no one should argue that scientific knowledge contradicts the existence of God. Nyebirweki’s profound belief in God and respect for all God created was grounded in sound scientific and philosophical claims that he had read from the small book ‘Obukuru bwa Ruhanga’ and the instruction from White missionaries.

Knowledge of traditional Kiga culture was mainly got from a famous book by Paul Ngologoza titled ‘Kigezi and its People’. Paul Ngologoza was a famous Catholic Mukiga leader who was the first Secretary General of Kigezi in 1946, Chief Judge of Kigezi in 1956.[10] Prior to that he had served as Parish Chief, Sub-County Chief and County Chief. Ngologoza was a great inspiration to Nyebirweki by the fact that he did not have any formal education and yet he rose to prominence to be a colonial chief and Secretary General of Kigezi. Ngologoza also became a papal Knight and was the first Mukiga to travel by plane on his journey to Rome to visit the Pope.

There was also a book written by Katiti by the title: ‘Ishe Katabazi’ translated as Father of Katabazi. This book contains comic stories in which the main character Ishe Katabazi is very crafty and always wins in the game of wits. Its goal was to teach both ethics and logic. A few stories will serve as an illustration. Ishe Katabazi was once at home and it rained heavily that some people came to find shelter at his house. As it rained for so long and he wanted to eat yet he had little food only for himself, he designed a strategy how to get the people out of his house. When thunder roared and struck, he warned the people that they had better get moving since thunder (usually personified in Kiga culture) wanted to come and hatch its eggs in the corner of room where the people were seated. He pointed to the pile of pumpkins in the distant corner and said: “There are the eggs of thunder.” Off the people fled the house! He went ahead and enjoyed his meal undisturbed.

Ishe Katabazi was once challenged to a wrestling contest with a pregnant woman. He was defeated and the people jeered him with scorn, saying: “How could you be defeated by a pregnant woman!” In reply he said: “Don’t you understand that I was wrestling with two people? Is the one inside the womb not a human being? I have tried my best.” The crowd roared with laughter at his wit. Nyebirweki would narrate such stories for hours.

The Missionaries of Africa who were the main evangelizers made sure that those undergoing catechetical residential instruction in Christian faith (popularly known as Omugigi in Rukiga) read the entire Bible in a period of 1-2 years depending on one’s intellectual ability. This instruction in the 1940s and 1950s used to take place at the diocesan headquarters of Rushoroza in Kabale, since that was where the White missionaries were based and there were no other parishes with priests.

Given Nyebirweki’s good grasp of Kiga folk wisdom, beliefs and traditions, he qualifies to be called what Odera Oruka calls a sage philosopher and a philosophic sage: “Popular or folk sagacity consists of well-known communal maxims, aphorisms and general common sense truths. On the other hand, philosophic sagacity is an expounded wisdom and rational thought of some given individuals within a community.”[11] Experts in African philosophy have struggled with the question of whether there is such a thing as an African philosophy since most of what people call African philosophy is not written and is not attributed to a particular individual, and can at best be described as folk wisdom. This sort of debate was brought to an end by Prof. Oruka when he did a research and established that: “…even in traditional Africa there are individuals who are capable of critical, coherent and independent thinking. Philosophic sagacity therefore retains the basic principles of professional philosophy.”[12]

So how does Nyebirweki fit into the categories of both sage philosophy and philosophical sagacity? He was well versed in Kiga traditional beliefs, culture and wisdom and would narrate them with accuracy. Kiga folk stories were his regular form of entertainment and he would even sing them while playing the traditional instrument, a trough zither or Enanga in Rukiga. The famous epic story of Ruyoka Rwamaganya emanzi yabahimba was always played in the evening. The other famous epic story was Kasya ka kagunga omwana we nyangwakazi.

Nyebirweki’s positive appreciation of his culture and history is reflected in his keen interest in the genealogy of his ancestry, what he termed obwoko Rukiga. He always insisted that his children should know where they originally came from and their lineage. The lineage he used to recite had the following order of ancestors in ascending order: Karyabakora, whose father was Kyarutaaba, whose father was Kabona, whose father was Rumasha, whose father was Matabura, whose father was Mibambwe IV, whose father was Kigeri IV, whose father was Mutara Ii, whose father was Yuhi IV, whose father was Mibambwe III, whose father was Kigeri III, whose father was Cyrima II, whose father was Yuhi III, whose father was Mibambwe II, whose father was Kigeri II, whose father was Mutara I, whose father was Ruganzu, whose father was Ndahiro II, whose father was yuhi Gahima, whose father was Mibambwe. Of course the veracity of this long genealogy is hard to verify since scholars on these matters rely on oral sources.

He knew over 1000 Kiga proverbs and riddles. Some of the famous Kiga proverbs he often quoted include:

1). Aho kusiibe ogyire kuhinga osiiba ogyire kunywana—instead of spending a day in the farm digging, you should spend the day making friends.
2). Ahu embuzi mbi eri, tosibikaho yawe—where there is a bad goat you do not tie your there.
3). Ameizi genshabano tigamara nziro—borrowed water does not make one clean.
4). Obwengye tibwomwe—knowledge is not for one person.
5). Ahu omutunga gwarabire tiguhebwa—where the flood has passed, it never forgets.
6). Akanyonyi katagyenda tikamanya eyi bwezire—a bird that does not travel does not know where the millet is ready for harvest.
7). Akakwangyire okaanga embwa ekanga esheko—what hates you, you hate it; a dog hated laughter.
8). Ndindirire akacumita omukira—one who waits speared the tail.
9). Endahukira kumira ekasiga akanwa karangeire—one who swallowed too fast left his mouth wide open.

A close look at the above proverbs demonstrates how Kiga sage philosophy n is quite profound. These are practical and abstract maxims that guide how people can live. The fact that the meaning is not easy to decipher helps the listener to think deeper hence developing critical and reasoning capacity in the process.

As for Kiga riddles the following were often invoked:[13

1). Akati omunyanja kooma?—does a tree in the lake dry/—answer: the son of a medicine man does not die.
2). Naakuteera akatakweba—I have beaten you with that you cannot forget—answer: the food you reserved for yourself.
3). Omukama akantuma eki ntaribona—the king asked for what I cannot find—answer: dog’s horns.
4). Kari kato nikatera sho—it is small but beats your father—answer: bee
5). Ngira ente yangye ezaara eteine numi—I have a cow that produces without a bull—answer; banana plant
6). Yemerera seeri, nyemerere seenu, tuteerane oburogo—stand there and I stand here, and we throw witchcraft at each other—answer: vegetables that have gone bad.
7). Kasiba twahwa—it is closed, we are finished—answer: a path that leads to the granary.
8). Akainikwa omukama—what makes a king bend—answer: a stone in the shoe.

As the above riddles demonstrate, riddles are a unique kind of literary genre that is complex. Some of them are difficult to translate since they use concepts that have no direct equivalents in English. Clearly, riddles represent a kind of unique esoteric logic. If one is able to solve these riddles one can solve other riddles in real life. They are the equivalent of symbolic or mathematical logic and clearly they enhance creative and critical thinking.

Then there were emigunju, pithy comic stories that carried complex meanings. Some of the common migunju that Nyebirweki used to narrate are:

1). Enyaruju ekatemba orubingo, eti ndahirwa narubuga--translated as: a chameleon climbed a reed and said, I will be lucky if I reach the top.
2). Empitsi ekanyampira eibare, eti, n’obu otayehiga wampurira—translated as: a hyena farted on the stone and said, even if you have not moved you have heard me.
3). Enyaruju ekatwarwa omutungu, eti, egi tirukundo nakabindirano—translated as: a chameleon was swept by a flood, and said this is excessive love.
4). Embwa ekareeba mukama wayo yarohama, eti abeine obuzo babuze—translated as: A dong saw its master drown, and it said: those who have where to go may go there.

Animal fables are used to pass on age-old wisdom that guides people on how to live in complex and ambiguous situations where simple and direct answers are not available. Some of these stories, proverbs and riddles contain what can be called African social, legal, political and economic philosophy, but one has to be trained to decipher the hidden meaning behind what seem simple humorous stories. The brevity and humor in these sayings make them easy to memorise for centuries.

Nyebirweki also knew over 1000 traditional medicinal plants and made an effort to preserve them around his home area. He knew herbal remedies for common cold, malaria, headaches, stomach upsets, cuts and wounds, etc. He was critical of both Kiga and Western culture even though he appreciated the positive values in these systems. While his uncles and grandparents did not value the education of the girl-child, Nyebirweki opted to treat his sons and daughters equally in terms of educational opportunities and land distribution. On this he was quite revolutionary.

His positive appreciation of African culture and beliefs did not prevent him from embracing the Christian faith since he was deeply convinced that some of the Kiga beliefs were sheer superstition. He also valued Western education without neglecting African ways of knowing and explaining reality. He insisted that all his children must go to school and not just do the minimum of primary school level but go up to university and even do post-graduate studies, arguing that was the only way to be self-reliant in the future since he had observed that land was getting scarce and society changing rapidly. While other parents kept their children at home to look after cattle, do farming, or do business, he refrained from such quick money-making ventures, opting for investing in long-term education. Not surprisingly, his first born son Mubangizi Basil became the first civil engineer in the sub-county, and the only civil engineer so far in the village of Kyasano.

CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT: ROLE OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND SOCIAL CAPITAL

From the above sources of knowledge and worldview, Nyebirweki developed his unique understanding of sustainable development that had the following elements: respect for nature; respect for fellow human beings; thinking of the future generations; creating a network of friends. Culture was not seen as an obstacle to development but rather an ally. Even though Nyebirweki was not a farmer he dedicated some time to growing Kiga indigenous crops such as beans, peas, sweet potatoes, sorghum, millet and pumpkins. His exposure to other cultures especially Ganda and Tooro enabled him to diversify food crops. He introduced bananas and cassava.

Indigenous methods of cultivating and soil conservation were encouraged. These included mixed cropping, fallowing, mulching and using organic manure. Indigenous knowledge was also used in land tenure. As a land lord, Nyebirweki used to hire land for either money or food. In this way even those who did not have cash would be given some land to cultivate food crops and they would share some of their produce with him. This practice was known in Rukiga as okwatira and the money paid was known as obushuro or obwasisi. There was another innovate practice where people exchanged their labor for food known as okucwa encuro. With these systems it was difficult to find people who did not have enough food, except for the lazy type.

As a way to build good will and cultivate a good relationship with his clients (he was a designer of clothes) and laborers, Nyebirweki used to organize some parties where Kiga traditional beer known as Omuramba was brewed for that purpose. At other times he would brew a special wine from bananas known as Rwarwa. Christmas season was always celebrated in style with these traditional brews, and guests were always invited.

Since tree planting was a major activity that Nyebirweki engaged in, trees played a significant role in his development model. Trees were used as firewood and charcoal, they were also used for house construction, and other domestic purposes. They were a major source of income since they were ever available given the large forest of both euchalyptus and black-wattle trees. Trees were also a means of procuring labor since those who did not have cash would get firewood or building materials in exchange for labor.

FAITH-BASED DEVELOPMENT AND PHILANTHROPY

As mentioned earlier, Nyebirweki’s worldview was partly shaped by his Catholic faith and so was his view of development. He fully understood that utilizing his talents to develop the resources he had was a divine responsibility. He always prayed for success in all he was doing. From his income he would support the local church’s projects such as construction, support for catechists and priests, as well as teachers at the school where his children studied. He would give free firewood to teachers who were residing at the primary school called Kyasano. These teachers who were beneficiaries of his generosity would visit his home regularly.

A PHILOSOPHY OF SELF-RELIANCE AND HARD WORK

Nyebirweki was self-reliant and impressed this value on his children right from an early age. He promoted this value by working on the fields, planting trees, building houses, designing and tailoring, keeping his compound clean (trimming the fence and slashing grass). Around his home, he spent a good amount of time working on the banana plantation. His activities were quite varied. And when it was time for harvesting beans, sorghum, peas, and Irish potatoes, he would take a break from tailoring and join the rest of the family.

ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL ECONOMY: LAND, SKILLS, DIVERSIFIED AND INTEGRATED ECONOMY

For Nyebirweki, a political economy of sustainable development entailed three main elements: land, skills, and diversified and integrated economy. This is a summary of all that he stood for.He invested in land of diverse ecosystems: swamps, rocky land, highland, and low land. These enabled him to cultivate a wide range of crops. He even preserved swampy areas where he kept a special type of grass for thatching roofs and for making mats. The same swampy area also had clay that was used for making pots and cooking stoves.

On skills he had trained in design and tailoring and would insist that all his children should acquire some skills that would ensure that one has a job for life. True to his love of trees, he requested all his children to plant trees on the plot he allocated to each of them, repeating the formula: for every tree you cut, plant two. He also trained a number of young men in design and tailoring including his own son, with the argument that such a skill that had made him who he was, should be kept in the family. In his own way he knew the marketing strategy of branding. He was known in the entire district of Kabale (formerly Kigezi) as a designer and tailor. He had a lot of customers such that around Christmas and Easter time he would carry items to work at home at night to beat the deadline. He was known for keeping deadlines and for the best designs. Because he was fluent in several languages (Swahili, Luganda, Kinyarwanda and Rukiga), this enabled him to attract more customers. True to his call for skills training his children studied and acquired skills in diverse disciplines: design and tailoring, nursing, medicine, education, social work and social administration, political philosophy.

The model of economy that Nyebirweki built can be described as diversified and integrated. He invested in skills, agriculture, land, forestry, design and tailoring, and even some retail. During harvest season he would buy beans, sorghum, and peas, and store them until the price had risen due to shortage of food items. He also had some small retail items he sold at his home such as soap, kerosene, match boxes, etc. The other major source of income was house rent. Nyebirweki had invested in houses for rent near the Katuna border.

CONCLUSION: PASSING ON A LEGACY TO THE NEXT GENERATION

As the world continues to search for means of sustainable development under the new framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) it would helpful to look at some exemplary figures across the world who have tried singlehandedly to fight poverty using indigenous knowledge. The enormous international conferences under the UN rubric with global policy makers are only one part of the story when it comes to sustainable development. The many unsung heroes and heroines in rural Africa have their story to tell but these stories need to be retrieved and brought to the international limelight by those who have the means and forum.

The story of Nyebirweki Tadeo and his determination to promote sustainable development and confront climate change in his own small way, has been told in these pages. The legacy he left behind of imparting skills, promoting self-reliance, diversifying a rural economy, planting trees, and sharing his resources with the needy, will live on. He met the MDGs and SDGs long before they were agreed upon by world leaders. He clearly was a man of foresight and vision. The two mountains he covered with trees in his long life of 82 years will remain an enduring legacy of what he lived for. Whoever looks at those trees will be left with the question: what have I done for Mother Earth? The only fitting tribute for this ordinary man who did extraordinary things is to narrate his legacy, hoping that his story can inspire others to do likewise. Nyebirweki had a passion to leave the world better than he found it, one household at a time, but reaching out to others as his faith, culture and philosophy demanded.

On a personal note: This is my small token of expressing my indebtedness for the inspiration and mentorship I got from him. He must be looking on from his eternal dwelling smiling in approval saying: “ I knew you would do it at the appointed time, by divine providence.”

* Odomaro Mubangizi, PhD, teaches philosophy and theology at the Institute of Philosophy and Theology, where he is also Dean of Philosophy Department. He is also Editor of Justice, Peace and Environment Bulletin.

END NOTES

[1] For a detailed discussion of Kiga culture and values see Paul Ngologoza, Kigezi and Its People (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 1998), 33-54.
[2] See, Grace Carsewell, Cultivating Success in Uganda: Kigezi Farmers and Colonial Policies (Oxford: James Currey, 2007), 49-67.
[3] See Ngologoza, 59-60; 67-70.
[4] Ibid, 134-141.
[5] See Ibid, 59-63; Ngologoza, 83-99.
[6] Ibid., 70-71.
[7] Obukuru Bwa Ruhanga (Kisubi: Marianum Press, 1966). This book was based on the Book The Greatness of God written by Tihamer Toth a University professors at the University of Budapest, Hungary.
[8] Obukurr Bwa Ruhanga, Op. cit. 90.
[9] Ibid. 50-51.
[10] Nhologoza, Op. cit. 101-102, 104.
[11] F. Ochieng’-Odhiambo, African Philosophy: An Introductioin (Nairobi: Consolata Institute of Philosophy Press, 1995), 98-99.
[12] Ibid. 99.
[13] For the collection of 850 Runyankore/Rukiga riddles see Ebishaakuzo 850: “Shaaku-shaaku”--: “Shambaagira!” (Mbarara: Omuhand Gw’okumanya, 1974).

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