• Kotido District

Ikimorikis Ngican (Poverty Has United Us)

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The insecurity exacerbated by armed Conflict that rocked Karamoja for decades in the 19th and early 20th century did not only rob them of decent livelihoods but also left them counting loses. Many young and productive women were rendered widows and dozens of children orphaned.

Anna Mary Atyanga, who is the group’s chairperson, says many male youths lost lives in the conflict characterised by cattle rustling that left just married girls widowed. She adds that this led many girls into polygamous marriages through wife inheritance. “Due to the shortage of men, one man could have between five to 12 women who put this ladies at high risk of contracting uncurable diseases such as HIV/AIDS”, Atyanga recalls.

The similarities in their tribulations, therefore, brought them together in 2014. With the capacity building in income generation and a humble donation of 500,000UGX by ADRA triggered the development paradigm in them.

This is Ikimorikis Ngican (loosely translated as: Poverty Has United Us) women’s group in Lopotha Village, Napumpum Parish in Panyangara sub-county, Kotido District who have championed Education of children especially orphans. They have also diversified their livelihoods to obligate a decent and healthy living.

Formed in 2014, after peace returned to Karamoja, their togetherness has dramatically raised the enrolment of children in their communities and also enabled them to pay school fees for orphans in boarding school. “Whenever our children reached Primary 7, they could come back home due to lack of school fees and others could repeat Primary 7 two to three times even after passing with the hope of getting a scholarship”, says Lotimong Wori, one of the member.

“However, this is now history after learning from ADRA that we are change agents and we now sponsor 10 of our children especially orphans in Napumpum Primary School, Panyngara and Kotido Secondary School in boarding section, using part of the profits of the group income-generating activities”, Lotimong boasts. She says the group sometimes liaises with local authorities to mount operations on parents keeping children at home which has made enrollment in Primary Schools to shoot up.

Grace Akulo, says with the seed money donated to them by ADRA, the group began buying millet and sorghum within Kotido and transported them to Lira and Soroti District for sale. “Within two months, our money rose from 500,000UGX to 1.5million UGX and now we have a capital of 7.5million UGX part of which we used to pay for five orphans in Napumpum Primary School whom we picked from the kraals. We also offer scholastic materials such as books, pens and pencils to disadvantaged children”, Akulo narrates.

She says ADRA’s training in agriculture has also enabled them to have various gardens for vegetables, onions, tomatoes, maize and cereal fields plus staple food that has improved the nutrition of their families especially for children and pregnant mothers. She adds that as per now they have 20 bags of grain in their community store as a measure of food security.

Moses Orwao, the ADRA Community Support Officer for Kotido says that Action for Social Change Programme is focused on empowering communities rather than giving handouts has yielded results. “Communities in Karamoja have been used to handouts, but because of our interventions they have changed their mindsets and now demand for services and skills from duty bearers”, Orwao says.

Hon. Freicho Lotimong, the District Councilor representing Panyangara sub-county is all praises for ADRA for empowering communities in Karamoja.

“I thank God for ADRA because it has supported Karamoja for long from the time of insecurity where no NGO could step in Karamoja, but they stood with us. They have built the capacity of our communities through training and women empowerment. They are really true friends of the Karamojong and God bless ADRA”, Lotimong said.