Prof. Odonga, surgeon the Lwo dictionary

Feb 12, 2006

TWO cubs sit on the wall, gazing. Instead of fear, warmth springs from that spot in your heart dedicated to beauty. As your eyes sweep the spacious rectangular room, the opulence of art is alluring. The lions are a realist art piece by Zimbabwe’s Andrew Bone. To Prof. Alexander Mwa Odonga, his liv

By Harriette Onyalla

TWO cubs sit on the wall, gazing. Instead of fear, warmth springs from that spot in your heart dedicated to beauty. As your eyes sweep the spacious rectangular room, the opulence of art is alluring. The lions are a realist art piece by Zimbabwe’s Andrew Bone. To Prof. Alexander Mwa Odonga, his living room is “my art gallery.” Having spent 57 years as a medical doctor, surrounded by disease and death, Odonga now fills his sunset age with art and culture.

On graduating from Makerere University Medical School in 1949, the tall and sprightly man later became one of Uganda’s first surgeons.

After 47 years of an adventurous and successful career as a medical doctor, surgeon and professor of surgery, Odonga retired in 1996.

But he had got accustomed to serving people that instead of retirement, he went into writing. Odonga has published three Lwo books.

“I wrote these books as a service to the people and not for money. I made my money from medicine. I realised that no one was coming up to write the famous Lwo fables, which were very instrumental in shaping the behaviour of young people.”
“Fables are not folklores, they have life lessons, which teach children not to steal, imitate or envy. Others teach them to return lost property and avoid laziness or jealousy or that knowledge is greater than strength,” he says.

So the work began. Odonga wrote his books Ododo 1 and Ododo 2 when he was still on full-time employment and published them in 1997 while the Lwo English dictionary was published in 2005.
“I am one of the most senior Acholi. The initiative to write these fables came in the nick of time. It was by God’s grace. Then, war had intensified in the north, forcing many people to flee to Kampala. This made my work easier.

“I used a tape recorder to record the fables as old men and women narrated. I would settle for the fable after getting the same version from three quarters of the people I approached. I transcribed them personally to avoid distortions,” Odonga says.

“My greatest worry was that these fables, which had gone on from generation to generation, would fade with the old generation. The cultural setting in which they were passed on was destroyed by war.”

Born in Gulu in what used to be the Church Missionary Society area, Odonga grew up when Gulu town was a budding trading centre. He joined Gulu High School before proceeding to Nabumali High School for senior three. In senior four however, Odonga joined Kings College, Budo where he studied to senior six.

Odonga started writing while still a practicing doctor. Apart from articles published in several world medical journals, Odonga is renown for his books, Makerere University Medical School (1924 – 1974), published in 1978 and Practical Medical Ethics published in 1995. It took him several years to write the Lwo English Dictionary because he kept enriching it with more words. “I would go for six months without writing. When it was complete, I got problems finding money for printing,” he says.

The comprehensive dictionary is published by Fountain Publishers in Acholi, drawn from the Payira, Patiko, Paico, Bwobo and Alero clans, which have been least affected by external linguistic influence. The introductory section provides an overview of the structure and grammar of the language, covering nouns, verbs, vowels, tenses, singular and plural forms and phonetics.
All entries in the dictionary are in the Acholi with definitions in English, and examples of usage in Acholi with parallel translations in English. However, Odonga says the dictionary is useful for all Lwo speakers because “they speak a similar language with only slight distinctions.”

“Makerere University’s department of languages categorises Acholi, Langi, Jonam, Padhola, Kumam as Lwo. So other Lwo tribes can build their fables on the Ododo books because these fables are similar among the Lwo people,” Odonga says. This, he discovered after enrolling to study at the department while writing the dictionary.

Odonga underscores the importance of children speaking and writing their mother tongues because of the wealth the African culture offers their upbringing.

The afternoon sun is blazing but the shadow of the huge house on Naguru hill, Kampala casts a cool shade on the verandah. A cool breeze causes the tall tree in the green manicured compound to swish. The hum of motor vehicles passing on the Ntinda road harmonises with a piano playing in the next fence. Peace prevails.

Odonga loves classical music. He plays the flute and accordion. In the garage behind, a brand new sleek deep blue pajero is parked. It is a present from the ministry of health for his service. His drive for life is infectious. He has lots of energy and is quick witted.

With a bounce in his step, Odonga rushes to invite his wife to tea. The two share the crown of silver hair and youthfulness. Janet has aged gracefully. As we sip the English tea, Odonga intimates his key to ageing gracefully.

“In Budo, when we were told that we were going to Kampala city, we would be so happy to walk to and fro. It was such fun. But these days, young people do not want to walk, that is why they are so unfit. When I was still working, I used to walk to Mulago. Nowadays, I walk for at least one kilometre daily,” he says.

Odonga is a father of eight graduates, most of who work abroad.

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