Ddipo Naziggala: Ettamiiro n’okulivvunuuka mu Kampala bwe butambi obukwata ku ttamiiro n'engeri z'olivunuukamu mu Kampala Uganda. Emboozi zino zakunganyizibwa  okumala emyaka ena ng’abononyereza  banoonya engeri  bannayuganda ababeera mu nkingizzi za Kampala gyebakolamu okuva ku mwenge n’ebizibu ebiguvaamu.

Dipo Naziggala (I Closed the Depot): Addiction and Recovery in Kampala is a podcast about addiction and recovery in Kampala Uganda.  The stories told in this podcast were drawn from a four-year collaborative research study of the techniques Ugandans living in the suburbs of Kampala use to respond to alcohol related problems.   

Newankubadde kigambibwa nti ebitundu nga 58 ku buli kikumi be baviira ddala ku mwenge, alipoota ya WHO eraga nti abanywa  omwenge banywa mungi ddala, nga buli muntu anyway liita z’omwenge 23.7 buli mwaka. Bw’ogeregeranya, alipoota ya WHO ey’omwaka 2014 eraga nti mu America  omuntu omu anywa liita z’omwenge 13.3 ate mu Russia omuntu anywa liita z’omwenge 22.3 [World Health Organization 2014]

While approximately 58 percent of Ugandans claim that they abstain from alcohol entirely, the WHO estimates that those who do drink have an exceptionally high estimated per capita consumption rate of 23.7 liters of pure alcohol per year. For comparison, the WHO 2014 report estimates the per capita consumption rate among American drinkers at 13.3 liters and Russian drinkers at 22.3 liters (World Health Organization 2014).  

Okumala emyaka egyo ena [2015-2019] twayagala okuzuula ku nnywa y’omwenge era n’engeri abantu gye bagezaako okuwonamu ennywa y’omwenge embi. Ekyo twakikolanga nga twogera n’abantu mu ma bbaala ne mu bifo gyebagendanga okusobola okuwona okunywa omwenge. Abantu abamu baagendanga mu malwaliro agajanjaba ab’ebitamiiza era n’okwetaba mu guluupu z’ababikozesa [Alcoholics Anonymous]. Ku lwensonga nti enzijanjaba eriwo mu Uganda mpya ate ya kizungu, abantu abamu bo baanoonya okuwona nga bakozesa eby’ekinnansi. Baagenda  mu batunda eddagala egganda. Era baawongeranga empewo ne lubaale mu masabo g’abasamize. Era baasabanga mu makanisa g’abalokole ne mu bakatuliki aba karizimatiki. Emboozi zino zonna  zakunganyizibwa kuva mu bo. 

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Kajumba alabikirwa Katonda era n’asalawo okulekerawo okunywa omwenge.

Mu kitundu kino omukyala ayitibwa Glenda ayanirizibwa ssenga we eyamuwa omukisa okusalawo ku nkolagana ye n’omwenge.

Mu mboozi eno pmusajja ayitibwa Mayanja akyalira omutabuzi w’eddagala egganda okuligezaako.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Semuju ayiga okuwongerera empewo ezaali zimuleetera okunywa omwenge. 

Daniella ayita mu kusumululwa mu kkanisa y’abalokole.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Dean ava ku kunywa omwenge ng’ayita mu ddwaliro erijjanjaba ebitamiiza, n’okuyita mu guluupu za Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Kato omuzimu gwa nnyina gumujjira negumulabula okumutta ssinga tava ku mwenge.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Maurice agezaako enfunda nnyingi okuva ku mwenge mu malwaliro g’ebitamiiza ne mu guluupu za ba alcoholics anonymous.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Amos awona omwenge bweyetaba mu kusamira n’okuwongerera empewo.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Richard awonyezebwa era n’afuna abantu abapya mu kkanisa y’abalokole.

Mu kitundu kino omusajja ayitibwa Gregory anoonya okuwona omwenge nga agenda mu malwaliro g’ebitamiiza awamu n’okwetaba mu guluupu za ba Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mu kitundu kino omukyala ayitibwa Irene awona omwenge bweyetaba mu kusamira n’okuwongerera empewo.

Over the course of four years (2015-2019) we sought to learn about alcohol use and the ways that people attempt to resolve situations of problem drinking by spending time talking with people in bars and in the places where they sought help for their problems.  Some of these people sought help in formal drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers and Alcoholics Anonymous support groups.  Given the relatively recent introduction of Western ideas of alcoholism and addiction in Uganda, most people sought help for their problems outside of the formal medical system.  They visited herbalists to buy herbal emetic therapies.  They made offerings to the lubaale spirits in the shrines of basamize. They prayed for deliverance in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.   This podcast is a collection of their stories.

In this episode, a man named Kajumba is visited by a vision of God and decides to leave alcohol behind. 

In this episode a woman named Glenda is welcomed by an aunt who offers her an opportunity to negotiate a new relationship with alcohol. 

In this episode a man named Mayanja visits an herbalist to try an emetic therapy that helps him stop drinking.

In this episode a man named Semuju learns to care for the ancestral spirits that had caused him to drink.

In this episode a woman named Daniella experiences deliverance in a Pentecostal church.

 In this episode a man named Dean who stopped drinking through participation in an inpatient recovery program and Alcoholics Anonymous group.

In this episode a man named Kato is visited by the ghost of his mother who threatens to kill him if he does not stop drinking.

In this episode a man named Maurice makes repeated attempts to stop drinking at an inpatient rehabilitation center and an Alcoholics Anonymous group. 

In this episode a man named Amos finds healing through participation in ritual offerings and spirit mediumship.

In this episode a man named Richard finds healing and a new community in a Pentecostal church.

In this episode a man named Gregory seeks recovery through participation in inpatient rehabilitation programs, Alcoholics Anonymous, and a Pentecostal church.

In this episode a woman named Irene finds healing through participation in ritual offerings and spirit mediumship.

Emboozi zino zonna ntuufu, ng’abazitugamba bajjukira ebyabatukaako nga babibuulira abanoonyereza. Okusinziira ku mateeka ga Uganda National Council for science and Technology, amannya g’abantu n’ebifo bikyusiddwamu olw’obutabalalaasa.

Tulina essubi nti bwetugabana nammwe emboozi zino, musobola okwongera okumanya ku ngeri ez’enjawulo  abantu zebayitamu okuwona omwenge n’ebizibu byeguleeta. Era tulina e ssuubi nti emboozi zino ziyinza okuzzamu essuubi mu kugonjoola obuzibu bwebuti mu bulamu. Nga tumaliriza, twagala okwebaza abantu bonna abaatunyumiza emboozi zino zetugabanye nammwe.

The stories told here are true as remembered by the people who shared them with the research team.  In accordance with the requirements of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, they have changed the names of the people involved as well as place names and other identifying details.  

We hope that in sharing these stories with you that you may come to learn about the wide range of techniques people can use to resolve situations of problem drinking.  They also hope that the stories may give you hope of addressing the problems that you may encounter in your own life.  Finally, they want to express their deep thanks to all of the people who shared their stories with them so that they could share them with you. 

Okunoonyereza kuno kwasasulirwa University of Virginia, The Equity Center, The African Urbanism Humanities Lab, The Institute for Humanities and Global Culture, the National Science Foundation (BCS-1758472) era ne kukakasibwa Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. 

China Scherz Pulofeesa wa Anthropology mu University of Virginia. Essira Alissa ku anthropology oweby’eddagala, ow’empisa n’obuntubulamu ne anthropology ow’ebyenzikiriza. 

George Mpanga munoonyereza eyetengeredde ng’abeera Kampala. Alina BA mu Social Work and Social Administration mu Kampala International University era abadde nnyo mu kunoonyereza mu anthropology n’ebyafaaayo kungi.

Sarah Namirembe munoonyereza eyetengeredde ng’abeera Kampala. Mu kiseera kino asoma MA mu Medical Anthropology mu Gulu University, era y’omu ku batandisi ba Recovery Uganda.

The study was funded by the University of Virginia, The Equity Center, The African Urbanism Humanities Lab, The Institute for Humanities and Global Culture, the National Science Foundation (BCS-1758472) and approved by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology.  These stories originally aired in Luganda on CBS Radio Buganda and were written in collaboration with the people whose lives they portray. 

China Scherz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Virginia. She specializes in medical anthropology, the anthropology of ethics, and the anthropology of religion.

George Mpanga is an independent researcher living in Kampala.  He has a BA in Social Work and Social Administration from Kampala International University and has collaborated on several other anthropological and historical research projects.  

Sarah Namirembe is an independent researcher living in Kampala. She is currently pursuing an MA in Medical Anthropology at Gulu University and is one of the founding members of Recovery Uganda.