SWAMPY TALES

SWIMMING AS PASTIME AND SURVIVAL ACTIVITY Can You Swim? Most people know swimming as merely a sport. Nature dictates that we in Lunga treat swimming as a critical activity. The fact that water is all around us makes it instinctive that we learn to swim; not only for leisure and pleasure but also for survival purposes.   Most accidents we are involved in concern capsized canoes and boats when we travel around the islands; and safety equipment such as life jackets are unaffordable to many. Swimming is therefore a survival skill that MUST be learnt at a very tender age.   Usually, our mothers like performing certain chores from the harbour. You will find them in good numbers at a harbour with white crystalline fine sand washing their pots, plates and clothes after which they will swim in clear, fresh water. As children, you follow your mothers and play in shallow water while they keep that love-punctuated watchful eye over you. As you grow older, you stop that s...

UKU KONTA: A PADDLING SIN IN LUNGA If you have never been to Lunga in the Bangweulu Swamps, you might have just heard of these fishermen who earn their    living largely by fishing. Although some researchers want us believe that there’s no any other form of Agricultural activities taking place in swamps, the fact is that people on islands surrounding Lake Bangweulu take time to grow cassava, finger millet, rice, maize and a few other crops. That said, the main activity, especially between April and November is fishing. There are various commercial fishing methods employed but I will here mention amalalikisha , where you set your floats and sinkers - fitted nets either early in the morning or early evening and wait by. Usually, your catch for this type of fishing would be mintesa (marcusenius macrolepidotus). Likely, you will belong to a production unit called nsanga as a subordinate, umuswa , whose boss is called umukolombeshi or umushila (he owns the ...