In the wake of COVID-19, and now that many of the young are rendered idle at home, it is such a prudent idea to have them empowered with various skills. For Sosolya Undugu Family Academy (SOUFA) under the Undugu family, a community-based organisation founded by Mark Mugwanya in 1993, dance and culture are some of the effective ways to keep young people not just entertained but empowered.

The primary aim of the academy is to transform vulnerable children and youth into self-sustaining professionals under their Sosolya Undugu dance academy, an activity of SOUFA.

Mugwanya says Undugu Family is a movement that unites all people despite their tribes, colour, religion or origin for peace, prosperity and humanity.

Initiated in 2009 and officially registered as a charity non-profit organisation in February 2017, SOUFA is run on the principals of peer to peer learning but also boasts of the most knowledgeable team of teachers of indigenous dances, headed by Senoga Edgar Devis, Collin Lubega, Bagonza Herman and Buzabaryaho Stephen they are assisted by over 16 Tribal Virtuosos who ensure authenticity and quality control.

SOUFA takes Ugandan young talents to the international scene, however, its activities have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sosolya Undugu Dance Academy has performed at different international festivals including Zanzibar’s Sauti Za Busara in 2010, Democratic Republic of Congos’ Mahagi Peace Festival in 2010, Bayimba International Festival of the Arts in 2010, 2012 and 2016, Forchheim Africa Festival, Germany, in 2015, Lollapalooza, Berlin, in 2017.

This, Mugwanya says, has uplifted the skills and talents of hundreds of Ugandan youth, and as such changing their lives in society.

"Our repertoire of mainly traditional Ugandan music comes from all the 65 tribes of Uganda. Humorously tailored informative stories are presented in an authentic but artistically developed performance. Our performances are simply teaching and telling authentic stories through songs, drum rhythms, and dance movement. By passing these abilities to play instruments, songs and dances to the young talents, the unique Ugandan culture which is mainly coded in drum rhythms, song and dance historically intended to mobilizing masses for social actions jeered to environment protection, food security, unity, tolerance, peace, warning of danger and disease among others," says Mugwanya.

Watching some of their performance is enough to appreciate that the young talented dancers celebrate human happiness through a seemingly endless repertoire of dances that they execute using different parts of the body, such as stamping dances like Ekizino, Ekoche, Ekitaguriro among others, hip dances like Bakisimba, Tamena ibuga, Adungu and Amagunju.

Some of the performances, according to Mugwanya, are performed by at least 35 to 40 members of the group and this includes a traditional orchestra, dancers and vocalists.