By : Our News Reporter

Indigenous minority communities in Uganda’s West Nile Region have launched a 50-page book documenting common words, numbers, greetings and stories in five indigenous languages considered at risk of disappearing.

Titled Promoting Languages of Indigenous Minority Groups in the West Nile Region of Uganda, the publication brings together languages spoken by the Kebu, Nubi, Gimara, Reli and Lendu communities.

The book was authored by representatives of the respective communities with support from the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU) as part of efforts to preserve languages that community leaders say are increasingly being abandoned, particularly by younger generations.

Sam Ondiba, Chairperson of the West Nile Indigenous Minority Groups, said documenting the languages was an urgent intervention to ensure younger people can learn, read and write in their mother tongues.

Ondiba said the publication provides community members with an opportunity to learn common words, numbers, greetings and traditional stories in their indigenous languages, making it easier to pass the languages on to future generations.

Records from CCFU indicate that West Nile is home to five indigenous minority groups spread across the region. The Lendu are found in Zombo District, the Kebu in Zombo and Arua districts, the Gimara and Reli in Obongi District, while the Nubi are mainly found in Arua.

Community leaders say the groups face a growing threat of losing their languages and cultural practices as Western cultural influences increasingly shape the lives of younger generations.

Fredrick Nsibambi, Deputy Director of CCFU, acknowledged that the languages of indigenous minority groups in West Nile are disappearing and require urgent measures to preserve them.

The book contains profiles of the five indigenous minority groups, alongside basic reading and counting materials in their respective languages. It also includes numbers, days of the week, colours, greetings and short sentences.

Jaffar Yusuf Oyobo, King of the Nubian Kingdom (Mulki ta Nubi), described the publication as an important record for preserving the languages, history and cultural traditions of the communities.

The organisers plan to distribute copies of the book to schools and other public places to make the information accessible to learners, young people and other community members.

The initiative is expected to strengthen efforts to preserve the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity while encouraging younger generations to learn and use their indigenous languages.