I Hail
Ianna Mutumba
I hail from the pearl of Africa,
Where the night life precedes its name,
The sun sets and rises in the morning,
And the people party as hard as they work.
This is the land of the rolex, not the one you’re thinking of,
‘Rolled eggs’, spiced, fried, wrapped in a chapati,
A delicacy you have to try at least once in your life.
I hail from the source of the Nile River,
Where ladies don’t need to work out for an hourglass shape.
Instead, they are built like the thick gourds used
to fetch fresh rippling water from the cool bounty streams.
This is the land of oneness.
I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone else that I know.
We pamper our guests from the airport, singing songs
To their place of residence and back, treating them equally like our own.
I won’t say it’s flawless, but many who visit don’t want to leave.
Don’t be fooled by the media.
We don’t have pet lions; I own a maltese poodle named Lacy,
We don’t live in trees; many inhabit mortgage-free mansions.
Please, don’t ask me how I know ‘good English for an African with immigrant roots.’
My ancestors were colonized by the British,
But we still speak 40 plus traditional languages; our tribes intact.
From the national parks, exotic wildlife thriving among the Savannah vegetation,
The long horned herds of cattle grazing in the rich plantations,
And the tall hardwood mahogany trees in the Mabira Forest,
To the snow capped Mountains of the Moon glistening by night,
Oil drills, stone quarries, mines of gold and diamonds,
The people of all shades are adorned with jewels and patterned luxurious fabric.
No, I did not describe Wakanda,
Although Lake Bunyonyi appears in one of the scenes of the great Black Panther.
My roots are in the royal tribe of the King in the city of seven hills.
I hail from Uganda.
Ianna Mutumba writes, “My name is Ianna Mutumba. I was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda. I always look forward to visiting my beautiful home and extended family during summer vacation. I am pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and cognitive science at Rutgers University. To unwind from the pressures of life, I enjoy going to the gym and occasionally swimming. I also love exploring cooking recipes from all over the world, taking pictures of the food I make, as well spending time in nature.
I took a specific interest in the field of psychology because the topic of mental health is considered a myth in Uganda and many African countries (and the world at large). My zeal to help in the fight to change this increased in the pandemic when people were going through so much with limited outlets leading to an unprecedented increase in stress.
I spend my free time volunteering at the Rutgers University Psychology Child Development Center because working with children is something I am deeply passionate about. I also volunteer with the Rutgers University Brain Exercise Initiative, and our main goal is to find ways that help the elderly retain cognitive abilities like memory despite the increase in age. I enjoy using knowledge learned when working with different age groups to see how strategies and approaches that benefit one age group can often benefit the other. As I work towards graduation and all-round success, I am eager to make a positive impact in the field of Pediatric Psychology to support the health and well-being of children and adolescents, who represent the backbone of our future.”