DRC: The Elderly Recall a Bygone Era of Peace and Simplicity in Bunia

This is a submission from Rev. Balikenga Bisoke Bernard”s daughter, Grace. She has a degree in communications from Uganda Christian University. We welcome her perspective from Bunia.

“My best memory is my wedding day. It was a cultural wedding with great simplicity.,” she explained, drawing a contrast with the expense of modern unions. “The simplicity of weddings before is nothing like the simplicity of weddings now, “ said the mother of four and grandmother of six.

Her childhood play was also far removed from screens. She fondly recalled traditional games: “We used to play *lukamba*, *kabumbu* and other games”—activities that required little resources but plenty of imagination and camaraderie.

This view is shared by Unya Pituwa, born in 1962, who confirmed the focus on healthy, unifying leisure activities in his youth. “We used to play ball in our time,” he said, an activity they seem to miss.

These testimonies reveal a segment of Bunia’s collective memory: a time when streets were safe playgrounds, leisure meant sharing, and ceremonies favored meaning over pomp. While acknowledging technological progress, these elders point to its effects on youth and the social fabric, issuing an implicit appeal to remember the value of simplicity, security, and togetherness.

By Grace Kasemire

In the districts of Sukisa and Bigo, many elderly residents look upon the present with trepidation, remembering a bygone era defined by security and simplicity. Three shared their contrasting memories and fears about societal changes.

Sitting outside his home in Sukisa, Basegere David, in his sixties, recalls his younger days with a sad smile.

“Before, we were fine during the Mobutu era. We could stay at home without fear, sleep there even with money, we weren’t afraid. We could walk at night without any problems, we could go to Kisangani freely,” he said. He now deplores the current insecurity, citing a situation that “has created a lot of road blockages.”

Their past concerns were simple, collective, and forged social bonds. “In our time, we played ball. Films were shown, including religious films,” Basegere continued. He bitterly observes a profound change today: “Now it’s all the rage with technology, which is damaging children with social networks. Before, we used to watch edifying films for children. Now, God’s business has become something else.”

Nearby in the Bigo 3 neighbourhood, Florence Kamalembo, a shopkeeper born in 1964, shares her memories. She has vivid recollections of her wedding day.