Tuesday, June 10, 2008
By Joshua Masinde
A Woman’s Voice is a compelling anthology of twelve short stories written by Ugandan women. The stories are drawn from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds of the Ugandan society. This reflects a rich diversity of themes 
and messages, which in a way inspired their authorship. Women are natural story tellers, as Kyomuhendo Goretti once said. “We should tell our stories.” A Woman’s Voice confirms her confession.
The opening story, Looking for my mother by Lilian Tindyebwa explores pertinent issues of child abuse, neglect and survival. Mrs. Rebecca Kazungu, confesses having been sexually abused at the age of fifteen, by her aunt’s husband uncle when she was taken to stay with them. Through flashback, she admits throwing the infant, later named Musa, into a pit latrine. This inhuman act becomes the centre of mockery from his friends at school. They not only isolate him, but they also jeer at and ridicule him, many years after he was saved from the pit latrine. “Oh!, foo, foo, foo, someone is smelling like a latrine here!”, was just one of the abuses directed at him.
Musa confesses, “I was so hurt as I stood alone in the empty classroom because everybody seemed to know what was going on except me….” Musa also learns that the current parents he stays with are not his real parents. He embarks on a mission in search for his mother.
Mad Apio is a light-hearted story that captures the absurdities and injustices in life, directed at women. Apio undergoes turbulent times, both at the University, from where she is expelled for leading a strike and outside, where her ‘insane’ husband dies. To stop the in-laws from taking all the inheritance from her, she appears naked before them, something which is taboo in their culture. The father-in-law faints.
Such injustices in Mad Apio are also captured in Joanitta's nightmare a story penned by Hope Keshubi. Joanitta, a young, innocent, bright school girl gets pregnant after a first love encounter with Jackson, a school boy. The two meet at a drama festival. They are the victims of love at first sight and infatuation. Lacking prior sexual reproductive knowledge, they engage in unprotected sex. Joanitta, young as she is, becomes pregnant. Though, written in the third person narration, there is frequent authorial intrusion.
Joanitta's nightmare echoes the sentiments in Looking for my mother; unwanted pregnancy and injustices subjected to the girl child. (Rebecca, sexually abused, though, conceives and gives birth to a baby boy, whom she throws her in a pit latrine). In Joanitta's nightmare, Joanitta is overworked, even at times when her delivery is due.
Domestic violence is a vice prevalent in our society today. Often, partners fight over petty issues like ‘tasteless’ or cold food. Where is she? is a touching story that vividly explores this phenomenon. Mugurusi behaves in a ‘beastly manner’ even when his wife loves him so much. He does not only batter her at a slight mistake, but he also hates his young son. The author, Philo Nabweru has skilfully employed suspense to make the story thrilling.
The editor, Violet Barungi, pens The last one to know. The story is a typical case of struggle, endurance and women emancipation and frustration. Ruth, the narrator, after the dismissal of John, her husband from work, looks for a job to keep the family going. She buys furniture for the house and puts in modern gadgets, “making life generally easy and comfortable for everybody, especially her husband.” However, under her struggle, lies the monster of betrayal. Her husband cheats on her when he impregnates Monistera, the house help.
Becoming a woman by Hilda Twongyeirwe is a story of transition from childhood to adulthood, and the fears that little girls live with. The author powerfully employs short sentences to pass across the message. Other stories in the collection are Behind close doors by Lilian Barenzi, A sacrifice for Maayi, by Ayeta Anne Wangusa, Hidden identity by Goretti Kyomuhendo, Santus by Dominic Dipio and Those days in Iganga by Regina Amollo.
A combination of both the first person and the third person narration runs throughout the anthology. Nevertheless, some stories could do with a little suspense, which is lacking, like in A sacrifice for Maayi, Santus and The fate of an expensive wedding. The stories are also written in simple English devoid of complex vocabulary. This makes the collection suitable for both the general and scholarly readers. Despite a few grammatical hitches that appear in some stories, the short story collection makes an interesting reading that will leave the reader inspired.
The Anthology, published by Femrite Publications Ltd, retails at Ushs. 10, 000 at Makerere University Book Shop.
and messages, which in a way inspired their authorship. Women are natural story tellers, as Kyomuhendo Goretti once said. “We should tell our stories.” A Woman’s Voice confirms her confession.The opening story, Looking for my mother by Lilian Tindyebwa explores pertinent issues of child abuse, neglect and survival. Mrs. Rebecca Kazungu, confesses having been sexually abused at the age of fifteen, by her aunt’s husband uncle when she was taken to stay with them. Through flashback, she admits throwing the infant, later named Musa, into a pit latrine. This inhuman act becomes the centre of mockery from his friends at school. They not only isolate him, but they also jeer at and ridicule him, many years after he was saved from the pit latrine. “Oh!, foo, foo, foo, someone is smelling like a latrine here!”, was just one of the abuses directed at him.
Musa confesses, “I was so hurt as I stood alone in the empty classroom because everybody seemed to know what was going on except me….” Musa also learns that the current parents he stays with are not his real parents. He embarks on a mission in search for his mother.
Mad Apio is a light-hearted story that captures the absurdities and injustices in life, directed at women. Apio undergoes turbulent times, both at the University, from where she is expelled for leading a strike and outside, where her ‘insane’ husband dies. To stop the in-laws from taking all the inheritance from her, she appears naked before them, something which is taboo in their culture. The father-in-law faints.
Such injustices in Mad Apio are also captured in Joanitta's nightmare a story penned by Hope Keshubi. Joanitta, a young, innocent, bright school girl gets pregnant after a first love encounter with Jackson, a school boy. The two meet at a drama festival. They are the victims of love at first sight and infatuation. Lacking prior sexual reproductive knowledge, they engage in unprotected sex. Joanitta, young as she is, becomes pregnant. Though, written in the third person narration, there is frequent authorial intrusion.
Joanitta's nightmare echoes the sentiments in Looking for my mother; unwanted pregnancy and injustices subjected to the girl child. (Rebecca, sexually abused, though, conceives and gives birth to a baby boy, whom she throws her in a pit latrine). In Joanitta's nightmare, Joanitta is overworked, even at times when her delivery is due.
Domestic violence is a vice prevalent in our society today. Often, partners fight over petty issues like ‘tasteless’ or cold food. Where is she? is a touching story that vividly explores this phenomenon. Mugurusi behaves in a ‘beastly manner’ even when his wife loves him so much. He does not only batter her at a slight mistake, but he also hates his young son. The author, Philo Nabweru has skilfully employed suspense to make the story thrilling.
The editor, Violet Barungi, pens The last one to know. The story is a typical case of struggle, endurance and women emancipation and frustration. Ruth, the narrator, after the dismissal of John, her husband from work, looks for a job to keep the family going. She buys furniture for the house and puts in modern gadgets, “making life generally easy and comfortable for everybody, especially her husband.” However, under her struggle, lies the monster of betrayal. Her husband cheats on her when he impregnates Monistera, the house help.
Becoming a woman by Hilda Twongyeirwe is a story of transition from childhood to adulthood, and the fears that little girls live with. The author powerfully employs short sentences to pass across the message. Other stories in the collection are Behind close doors by Lilian Barenzi, A sacrifice for Maayi, by Ayeta Anne Wangusa, Hidden identity by Goretti Kyomuhendo, Santus by Dominic Dipio and Those days in Iganga by Regina Amollo.
A combination of both the first person and the third person narration runs throughout the anthology. Nevertheless, some stories could do with a little suspense, which is lacking, like in A sacrifice for Maayi, Santus and The fate of an expensive wedding. The stories are also written in simple English devoid of complex vocabulary. This makes the collection suitable for both the general and scholarly readers. Despite a few grammatical hitches that appear in some stories, the short story collection makes an interesting reading that will leave the reader inspired.
The Anthology, published by Femrite Publications Ltd, retails at Ushs. 10, 000 at Makerere University Book Shop.
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