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Luxury

von Fr. Henry Bahati

Luxury is defined according to the Oxford English dictionary as a condition of great comfort provided without any consideration of cost. Thus we can say luxury is a way of living at great ease regardless of how much money or resources are involved.

The Sabiny are a tribe who lives on the slopes of Mount Elgon. The Sabiny live on subsistence farming and grow coffee as the main cash crop. Among the Sabiny there is no word to completely describe luxury. Luxury is a word that does not exist, because luxury itself as defined in the dictionary does not exist. The term that comes most close to the meaning of luxury is "Sabondo Nyewo". Sabondo Nyewo actually means high life, high life that can be described as a life of comfort. But to be comfortable is not the same as a life of luxury. To be comfortable - that is "Sabondo Nyewo" - is to have the basics of life, to be able to meet the daily needs.

There are two main reasons to account for the absence of the word luxury among the Sabiny.

1. Among the Sabiny life is lived in the presence of need and is governed by need: this is to say, that one's activities as an individual aim at satisfying a need which could be of a social or individual nature. Since luxury is neither of this, it cannot be used to qualify a given activity. If for example I go to village X to drink, it is because I would like to meet fellow elders of village X or respond to a social obligation (they have come to my village before). Thus, I am satisfying a particular need.
2. There is a a philosophy of "I am because you are and because you are I am" among the Sabiny, that is, one's being, one's existence is affirmed through the other. I can't describe my existence without you. In practical terms this implies, that what I have is yours and yours is ours. There is no way someone can sell land without informing us, the clan members, for the land is ours. No child can get circumcised without our consent. No one can marry without the clan's consent. So no one can have luxury as long as we are poor for he is supposed to use "our" resources together. Thus, no one without counting the cost can have a comfortable life while others are in need.

Modern approach While this description is valid for the traditional approach, "luxury" is being imported into society as a correlate of education and modernisation. What has been regarded as communal responsibility is now individualised. Thus, luxury has started to become part of the educated and modern society. This is, however, perceived as a selfish way of life by traditional people. The Sabiny like many African tribes are faced with modern approaches and perspectives, one of them being luxury. At the time being, this is still confined to a few privileged people like presidents, members of parliament, some civil servants etc.

Written by Fr. Henry Bahati
Catholic Church Sipi
Kapchorwea District / Uganda

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