The Sick and War-torn - Kotido, Uganda
Mission: To encourage greater unity and more cooperation amongst the Christian community in Kotido
Location: Kotido, in Northern Uganda
Goals: To construct a multi-purpose building that will be a meeting place for churches, community outreach projects and schooling.
Project description:
Kotido is situated in North-East Uganda in a region called Karamoja. Karamoja is where the beautiful tribal clan, the Karimajong live. Its an area that is often inaccessible by road due to insecurities caused by the Karaimjong warriors. Because of this insecurity it is an unreached and forgotten area - an area that is also very hot and dusty in the dry season. An area that few Southern Ugandans have visited, an area that is under-resourced, under-funded and unreached. Yet it is an area which has a natural and wild beauty about it and much potential.
Kotido is in Kotido District, which is adjacent to Pader District. PaderDistrict at the moment is being ravaged by the activities of the LRA(Lords Resistance Army) - a rebel group that has been active in Northern Uganda for 17 years. The LRA abduct young children - the boys are trained in South Sudan as soldiers and the girls used to fetch water or are assigned to a commander to be a 'wife'. Approximately 80% of the population in Pader District have been displaced from their homes and have to live in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps - where foodis scarce, health facilities inadquate, water points overused and there is no employment. Even in these Army protected camps the people are not free from the fear of being attacked by the LRA - whose trademarks are cutting off peoples lips, ears and noses, burning huts whilst people are still inside, decapitating women and forcing women to kill their own children. To escape this kind of life many IDP's come to Kotido, which is a nearby safe haven, and have become involved in community life here. The credit-loan system that RHM has just set up in this area is helping people like Wilburt, who had to leave his home due to the insurgency and try and rebuild a new life in Kotido.