Lira etiquette school to teach Ugandans how to eat

If you go to a five-star hotel in Kampala or any place around the globe, you would find a whole lineup of foods to eat from with a whole set of cutlery on the table. If you lack the knowledge, believe me and you, you will not know where to start from.

The best thing one can do in such situations is to step back, relax, and wait for someone to start on the line and hope that you’re going to do exactly what he or she does. However, that is not the way it is supposed to be.

Trust me, if you attend classes at the newly opened Lira City-based Polish Stride Etiquette School, you will be the first on the line at that hotel—whether international or national—and other guests are going to copy what you’re doing.

This etiquette school—the first of its kind in Greater Northern Uganda—has opened the door to all Ugandans to learn how to eat, walk, and sit.

Launched on Friday, November 15, 2024, Polish Stride Etiquette School Ltd, located near Adyel Children Park in Lira City West Division, teaches different styles of eating, including American and European or continental.

The training enables the learners to be more comfortable on the table, whether they are in a professional or social setting.

Ms Eunice Apili, the chief executive officer of Polish Stride Etiquette School, said they do table manners, including taking you through how to maneuver the cutlery.

“And once that is done, you’re going to be a very polished individual, you’re going to be very confident because one of the things that do not make us confident is lack of knowledge,” she told Monitor on November 15.

“Once you don’t know anything, you would always fall back, but this is an era of not falling back. You have to fight for your space. So, any single opportunity that you have, fight for your space, teach yourself and be good in the community.”

Ms Apili noted that a lot of young people, including adults, do not know how to make the first impression during interviews—something that can earn you the job.

“I want to thank God so much for this opportunity because it’s a dream come true. This dream started about five years ago, and for the past four years, I have been thinking how best can this dream come to pass,” she added.

“The teachings that we do at Polish Stride Etiquette School are of international standards—European and United States standards. So, when we talk about table etiquette, this is something that you can apply worldwide.”

According to Ms. Apili, grandparents used to teach children table manners around fireplaces in the evenings. Currently, those classes are no more because everyone is so busy.

“But with the opening of Polish Stride Etiquette School right now, we think we shall be having those classes to rebuild the morals that we have in our children. So, we want to have a confident society, a much-supported team and then a team that can compete—not only nationally but also internationally. We are open Monday to Saturday,” she said.

Common mistakes versus table manners

Ms Apili said we often make so many common mistakes all the time while eating, walking, and sitting, and yet those mistakes degrade people.

“Simple mistakes like speaking with food in our mouth. But there is a way you can do it. If you have food in your mouth and someone talks to you, show the power of the index finger to them that I have food in my mouth and then I chew my food. When it’s done, I will respond to you,” she explained.

“When your cutlery falls down, most of us rush to pick them, and you end up picking germs and putting them on the table—dirtying your hand. So, usually, when your cutlery falls down, raise your hand with a smile to a nearby server. If you do that, you will attract their attention, and they will come to your rescue. You can say, ‘Excuse me, I have just dropped my fork. Can I kindly have another?’ They will respond, ‘Sure, sure.’ Your server will pick the fork which has fallen down, take it wherever they’re taking it, and they will serve you with another one.”

Mr Lawrence Egole, Lira Resident City Commissioner, acknowledged that a lot of good manners have been lacking from so many people, including some grown-ups.

“Most children grow up on their own. They don’t have parents on their side. The only manners they learn are from the Internet, and the manners are very negative in most cases,” he said.

Mr Egole added: “When you go to many families today, children do not know how to welcome visitors. They do not know how to greet. They don’t know the difference between a guest, a parent, and any other person. I call upon many people to take advantage of this facility so that the younger generation can at least have some good manners as they grow up.”

Ms Rebecca Alwedo, Lira City Deputy Mayor, said: “This is one of the unique learning centers that we are privileged to have in this region. On behalf of the office of the mayor, allow me to appreciate Madam Eunice for bringing such a learning center to Lira City.”

Mr Benson Moses Tiwo, Clerk to the Council of Lango Cultural Institution, said: “We’re grateful for whatever you have done, and I want to say that you should carry our blessings to do even more beyond the level where you are now.”