Rebel in a Bubble

I WOULD LIKE TO WALK NAKED. On my recent visit to Kuron, in South Sudan, I found myself thinking how nice it would be if I walked naked? The people we visited are the Toposa, a very neglected tribe in   the south east of South Sudan. They are a sister tribe to the Karamojongs of Uganda and the Turkana of Kenya. They are quite a big group scattered all over East Africa, from Uganda to Ethiopia. Apart from being pastoralists, they are often known for not wearing so much. They are usually adorned in multicoloured beads and wrappers that they either wrap around their lower half or tie across one shoulder. Many sub tribes of this ethnic group in many countries have adopted the culture of clothes, even though they are usually the last ones in each country to shade off the traditional dress code of their ancestors. The Toposa of South Sudan however, have not yet fully embraced this stage of evolution. The very first people to wear modern clothes are the school girls and boys at t...

Feeling like a fool. So recently I make my way into the police station, to report a case. There were several officers in argument about I don’t remember what, and one of them offered me a seat. And to him I poured my unsettled heart, and he listened quite intently, and later called his colleagues to attention. “So this lady here,” he starts, in Luganda, I don’t know whether he thought I didn’t understand Luganda but it didn’t matter later because when I intercepted later in Luganda as well he still continued. “This lady here is reporting a case about someone that’s calling her.” “Does he threaten you?” asks one of them. “No, but-” I try to explain again. “He tells her sweet things. He vibes her” the officer I talked to comes in, smiling a little and the rest of the male officers look at me. “But lady,” one of them says, “women are meant to be courted. He is courting you”. I am thinking, Jesus Christ! “Yeah,” another one says. “Maybe he liked your eyes. You have beaut...