She is a soft-spoken lady with a warm and radiant smile. She finds fulfilment in the way she is as a writer, and is happily married. Her greeting is authentically African: "How are your parents, how are the chicken, the goats, the beans?"
Born 42 years ago, she began to write in early nineties. What motivated her in depth was the International Writing Scholarship she received from Iowa University in the US. She speaks fondly of her second book, 'Secrets No More', published in 1999. The book details the story of Marina, a girl of about twelve years in the then genocide-strewn Rwanda. The girl experiences the nightmare of the strife in which her parents are slain. She becomes a victim of rape by a drunkard.
The inspiration to pen down this moving narrative grew after her encounter with a Journalist and his writings on the genocide. More than five hundred people had been slain in the church. The story touched her passionately. Though, more than a hundred books on the same subject of the 1994 Rwanda genocide had been authored, she couldn't resist the urge to write a story of her own on the same tragedy.
Why did she use a young girl for her protagonist? She argues it was spontaneous. The girl character came naturally and readily to her mind. In fact, she professes to identify readily with females. Herself being a woman cannot be ruled out. Being thus, she wanted to project the brutality and violence women face in the hands of men, just as it was commonplace during the Rwanda genocide in 1994.
What inspired her to write? The many stories that were the essence of life were her inspiration. Having been raised in rural Uganda by her grandmother, she was told many stories, especially in the evening. This was a fundamental knot, which instilled the writing spirit in her during her formative years.
At about the age of twelve, she had an irresistible urge to read. Unfortunately, there were no books in school. However, there is a time her elder sister came home with a copy of Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart.' She laid her hands on the book and began to read. The more she read the book, the more she felt an urge to write a story of her own. She says of one Nigerian scholar that a story that must be told respects no silence. It will strangle you in the night if you don't tell it.
How were her stories received? Her other novel 'The First daughter', published in 1996, was to her, a slow but interesting story. It was well received, especially by schools in the West Nile region in Uganda. "Schools, mostly in the West Nile bought a thousand copies," she says. This was a gateway to the numerous letters she began to receive from schoolgirls. They had many questions and problems, which they wanted her to address. One particular teenage girl wrote, "Auntie, I am pregnant." The girl was fifteen years old. The impact her writing had on the girls was very positive to her. She was not just a writer, but also a counsellor, auntie and a teacher to them.
After the publication of 'Whispers From Vera’ in 2002, she received a phone call from a gentleman, who wanted to meet Vera. Reason? "He wanted to take her to bed", because of the sexually arousing mood the story on Vera had been designed.
The author is not disappointed, though. The fact that her message got home is her joy. The juice of her inspiration is to write a good story. "I want to tell a good story," is her greatest pre-occupation. She wants to appeal to readers to catch the fever of her story. Her main concern is, "Why men had undue privileges over women?"
Nonetheless, many queries have been put across on "Secrets No More" Why does she picture sex vividly? For instance, there are two explicit rape scenes in the novel. The first occurs when Marina’s mother, Mukundane is being raped. She is later murdered. The second incident happens when Marina, her daughter is also raped. Although, she is married to George, she always feels she is being raped when they make love. Later, after she falls in love with Dee, George’s companion, who seduces her with a lascivious panorama, she realises that good sex happens outside marriage. The author portrays rape as a violent act. It stirs outrage and censure. In no other way could she present it as she presents it. It was brutal and it merited being told the way it happened.
How has she overcome some of the hurdles to make it such far? Personal empowerment has been of great vitality. She aims at telling the story from her heart. Though, limited time is challenge to one who has a husband, children, in-laws et al to attend to, she keeps a journal within reach at whatever point she feels an urge to write. For one who writes all the time, it is inevitable to jot down every bit of the necessary imagination that strikes her psyche.
Mrs. Goretti Kyomuhendo is the coordinator of FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers' Association). This is a gender-defined publishing counterfeit establishing eleven years ago. Working with FEMRITE has made her what she wanted to be: a champion of the cause of women. She is a feminist and looks to the day when men would regard women as their mothers, sisters and daughters. "The world would change," she points out.
After establishing FEMRITE, eleven years now, fourteen titles, all by Uganda women writers have so far been published. It is a milestone considering that men had dominated the writing sphere. She feels that women are natural storytellers. "We should tell our stories."
Though, FEMRITE has made it such far, it still has no branches in the rural areas because of insufficient capacity. Goretti believes that come light of day, they will spread the tentacles in order to reach as many women as possible. There is very rich talent within their hearts and minds, but with a few miners to tap such talent.
Born 42 years ago, she began to write in early nineties. What motivated her in depth was the International Writing Scholarship she received from Iowa University in the US. She speaks fondly of her second book, 'Secrets No More', published in 1999. The book details the story of Marina, a girl of about twelve years in the then genocide-strewn Rwanda. The girl experiences the nightmare of the strife in which her parents are slain. She becomes a victim of rape by a drunkard.
The inspiration to pen down this moving narrative grew after her encounter with a Journalist and his writings on the genocide. More than five hundred people had been slain in the church. The story touched her passionately. Though, more than a hundred books on the same subject of the 1994 Rwanda genocide had been authored, she couldn't resist the urge to write a story of her own on the same tragedy.
Why did she use a young girl for her protagonist? She argues it was spontaneous. The girl character came naturally and readily to her mind. In fact, she professes to identify readily with females. Herself being a woman cannot be ruled out. Being thus, she wanted to project the brutality and violence women face in the hands of men, just as it was commonplace during the Rwanda genocide in 1994.
What inspired her to write? The many stories that were the essence of life were her inspiration. Having been raised in rural Uganda by her grandmother, she was told many stories, especially in the evening. This was a fundamental knot, which instilled the writing spirit in her during her formative years.
At about the age of twelve, she had an irresistible urge to read. Unfortunately, there were no books in school. However, there is a time her elder sister came home with a copy of Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart.' She laid her hands on the book and began to read. The more she read the book, the more she felt an urge to write a story of her own. She says of one Nigerian scholar that a story that must be told respects no silence. It will strangle you in the night if you don't tell it.
How were her stories received? Her other novel 'The First daughter', published in 1996, was to her, a slow but interesting story. It was well received, especially by schools in the West Nile region in Uganda. "Schools, mostly in the West Nile bought a thousand copies," she says. This was a gateway to the numerous letters she began to receive from schoolgirls. They had many questions and problems, which they wanted her to address. One particular teenage girl wrote, "Auntie, I am pregnant." The girl was fifteen years old. The impact her writing had on the girls was very positive to her. She was not just a writer, but also a counsellor, auntie and a teacher to them.
After the publication of 'Whispers From Vera’ in 2002, she received a phone call from a gentleman, who wanted to meet Vera. Reason? "He wanted to take her to bed", because of the sexually arousing mood the story on Vera had been designed.
The author is not disappointed, though. The fact that her message got home is her joy. The juice of her inspiration is to write a good story. "I want to tell a good story," is her greatest pre-occupation. She wants to appeal to readers to catch the fever of her story. Her main concern is, "Why men had undue privileges over women?"
Nonetheless, many queries have been put across on "Secrets No More" Why does she picture sex vividly? For instance, there are two explicit rape scenes in the novel. The first occurs when Marina’s mother, Mukundane is being raped. She is later murdered. The second incident happens when Marina, her daughter is also raped. Although, she is married to George, she always feels she is being raped when they make love. Later, after she falls in love with Dee, George’s companion, who seduces her with a lascivious panorama, she realises that good sex happens outside marriage. The author portrays rape as a violent act. It stirs outrage and censure. In no other way could she present it as she presents it. It was brutal and it merited being told the way it happened.
How has she overcome some of the hurdles to make it such far? Personal empowerment has been of great vitality. She aims at telling the story from her heart. Though, limited time is challenge to one who has a husband, children, in-laws et al to attend to, she keeps a journal within reach at whatever point she feels an urge to write. For one who writes all the time, it is inevitable to jot down every bit of the necessary imagination that strikes her psyche.
Mrs. Goretti Kyomuhendo is the coordinator of FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers' Association). This is a gender-defined publishing counterfeit establishing eleven years ago. Working with FEMRITE has made her what she wanted to be: a champion of the cause of women. She is a feminist and looks to the day when men would regard women as their mothers, sisters and daughters. "The world would change," she points out.
After establishing FEMRITE, eleven years now, fourteen titles, all by Uganda women writers have so far been published. It is a milestone considering that men had dominated the writing sphere. She feels that women are natural storytellers. "We should tell our stories."
Though, FEMRITE has made it such far, it still has no branches in the rural areas because of insufficient capacity. Goretti believes that come light of day, they will spread the tentacles in order to reach as many women as possible. There is very rich talent within their hearts and minds, but with a few miners to tap such talent.
Appeared in Daily Monitor, 8th April 2007
Joshua Masinde.
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