Visualizing Ankole proverbs through animations as a documentation and preservation alternative for Ankole Indigenous knowledge

Abstract

The study set out to interrogate the Ankole proverbs that have been in existence as far as the advent of the Ankole ethnic group a thousand years ago, with much emphasis on their current state of documentation and preservation for the benefit of the future generation. These words of wisdom or phrases have been always or almost a daily spice of the speech especially with those well versed with these proverbs from children to adults concerning every aspect of life mostly on social cultural aspect. The study was guided by main three specific objectives which were, to examine the nature of Ankole proverbs and their applicability, whether children know and use the Ankole proverbs in their daily life experience, and to produce and find out the extent to which animation as an entertaining media has in preserving indigenous knowledge like Ankole proverbs. Therefore, the methodology used was qualitative methods, especially action research that involved engagement of the AMDA community based in the urban centers of Kampala metropolitan in nurturing the next generation youths. This stretched to the level of comprehensiveness by the children as compared to their adult counterparts and how these precious proverbs have been or are being documented and preserved for the next generation. In the same sense a graphical documentation solution was greatly considered in an audio-visual animation in Runyakore with English subtitle. The study found out the existence of a potential risk of losing most of our indigenous Ankole proverbs alongside other cultural values in preference to the alternative modern culture narratives and practices brought by technological advancement, that leaves no chance to express ideas in Runyankore and its rich proverbs thus the need to document and preserve these proverbs for posterity. Key wards: Ankole proverbs, Documentation, Preservation, Indigenous knowledge, Animation.