HIGHLIGHTS OF LIFE IN LUNGA - PART 1

UKULEYAPO: BU- UNGA WAY OF SHARING

Any Unga who has ever lived in the vicinity of our swamps is familiar with these unwritten Unga statutes: Ukuleyapo and Ukuleshako. In Cibemba language, Ukulesha means stopping or preventing someone from doing something. But in our Lunga, the same word means voluntary giving a portion of what you have whenever you meet someone, known or stranger; specially to do with fish or meat. Ukuleyapo means unrestricted way of taking your pick out of someone’s catch. In ukuleshako, the fisherman or the hunter chooses what to give you. You don’t choose for yourself.

There are parts of the animal, known as “Ifilewa” that you can pick freely without the owner frowning at all.  Some of these are liver, heart, intestines, abdomen, spleen, kidneys, etc. Other parts of the meat can only be given to you by the hunter.

With fish, it will depend on your relationship with the fisherman. You can choose any size if you know each other. Otherwise, you pick something that will not raise his eyebrows or else you ask him: “Tulesheniko,” to give you what he deems fit.

This happens when you meet someone anywhere along the channels or swamps, at the harbour or at their camp. Sometimes this can take place right in the village. Every Unga fisherman or hunter is obliged to follow these rules of sharing. If you don’t, you would be labelled a “Kapolo Munshifumbatuka,” a lion, a dangerously stingy person and you are marked for what you are.

These practices enhance the spirit of generosity that help those who, for some reason, might not have the means to have access to such delicacies. For, example, widows and divorcees are assisted to have relish. One way it is done to assist the underprivileged who have small boys who are not yet old enough to go fishing, is for the old fishermen to take along kids from such families to fishing expeditions so they can get a share of the kill. That way, needy families are assisted to afford some necessary proteins.

People on long journeys who do not have time to stop and fish are also assisted with relish so they can have a complete meal wherever they choose to. This is because, usually, travelers across the swamps will only have mealie meal but will require relish as complement to have a full meal.

You can also do ukuleya when you work for someone   at a fishing camp. Fishermen normally reserve most of their catch everyday for sale. If you want your relatives at home to have some fish from time to time, you always have to put something aside that you keep to send them. This way, you avoid giving off what is earmarked for commercial purposes. Each person under one company known as nsaanga is entitled to put something aside for the family left in the village.

As can be seen here, ukuleyapo and ukuleshako is a way of fostering the spirit of sharing and is fondly employed by the Unga people of Bangweulu swamps.