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Bwette Daniel Gilbert/youthjournalism.org
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By Bwette Daniel Gilbert
Reporter
KAMPALA,
Uganda -- What does New Year’s Eve mean to you?
Is it to
smoke weed until you pass out?
Booze your
way to the new year?
Midnight shopping
at Nakumat Mall?
These were
some of the activities that ushered in the new year for many young people in
Kampala who were also hanging out at favorite hotspots such Nakumat, Height,
Efferndys and Club Silk Street Jam.
At 7:30pm, I
got a dinner invitation from Babaluku, an influential Canada-Ugandan conscious
hip-hop artist, to the a classy Chinese hotel, where he shared his plan to use
hip hop artistry to teach youths about hip hop, peace building and community
responsibility.
Speaking at
Fang Fang Hotel, Babaluku also share with me his dream to train “Ship Crew”
(young hip hop artists in Uganda between the ages of six and 11) to use their
music to influence their communities, school and families.
After my
long chat with Babaluku, I started visiting some of the favorite hangout spots
for young people, including the Nakumat Mall, Heights and Kyoto. At all of
them, I found youths boozing their way to 2012.
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| Bwette Daniel Gilbert/youthjournalism.org |
A multitude
of young people gathered around the shopping mall since it’s the strategic spot
to view fireworks from the Serena, Sheraton, Garden City and Fairway hotels.
They stayed until 6 a.m.
Some of the young
people blacked out from drinking so much and were taken on boda rides back
home.
But others
preferred to spend their time in church congregations such as Watoto Central,
Miracle Centre, Nakivubo Stadium and Mandela National Stadium, thanking the
Lord for an amazing 2011.
This does
not mean that those youths who didn’t make it to the city didn't also have fun.
They just did it their own way.
Some were
seen burning tires and dancing to their favorite local jams like "Bolingo,"
and "Stamina."
Now that we
are already here in 2012, everyone hopes to make something of it, too.
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