Benefitting country(ies): Zambia

Overview:

Lala people live along the eastern portions of the Luangwa River in Luano District in the central province of Zambia. Among their various cultural practices that include social gatherings, festivals, celebrations and life cycle rituals, proverbs in particular hold a central place in the transmission of community values to the younger generation. Reflecting people’s living heritage and wisdom, Lala proverbs are used in different contexts, from the subject of marriage to dispute settlement among community members. Despite the essential role they play, several factors threaten the viability of the proverbs that are disappearing and their associated cultural practices, affecting community identity and way of life. The proposed project aims to draw up an inventory of the proverbs of the Lala community with a view to safeguarding practices, transmission modes and knowledge associated with them. Implemented by the Department of Arts and Culture of the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, activities include identification of custodians and practitioners of proverbs, training on community-based inventorying for local communities, fieldwork and processing and analysis of collected data. The project also plans to disseminate its results and raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding this living heritage among young people through culture clubs in schools and non-formal education settings.

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