LIVING WELL
On April 16th
2014 we drove through Pader Town Council to Lapeta central, Lanyirinyiri Parish
in Lira Palwo, Agago District to bury Mzee Obaldo Opogo who succumbed to
recurrent Tuberculosis. Mzee Obaldo was 83 years old, having been born in 1931.
He was married to two wives and was blessed in his life with 11 children and 36
grandchildren. Considering the tumultuous times that Acholi has passed through,
Mzee Obaldo’s death was a loss to the community, but his life deserved a
celebration, not mourning. He lived a successful life in procreation and in life
as a talented sportsman and traditional dancer. He left unceremoniously for an
elder who is a valuable source of life lessons for the youths who are dying at
tender age these days.
As we drove past
Pader Town Council headquarters, my admiration for this town planner could not
be hidden. Pader, like other Acholi districts of Agago, Kitgum and Lamwo have
very attractive landscape. They all appear to be sitting in this beautiful green
saucer hemmed in by C- shaped mountain ranges that stretches as far as Abim and
zigzags its way to Lamwo through Kalongo, Latanya Agoro, and others. The scenic
view offered by this blend of nature offers much potential for economic
transformation. These mountain ranges, if well exploited can become serious
sites of tourist attraction.
I am certain
that there are mysteries and history to these mountain ranges.
One obvious observation
is the preserved forests on the mountains in comparison to the shrubs and
thorns in the plain land. In Agoro and Lokung, the human settlement in villages
littered at the foothills of the mountain proves that the fertile soil around
these mountains can sustain livelihood. Usually other mountainous places offer
very poor quality of soil and granite which does not support food crop.
But death in
Acholi land is still very rampant. Not one week passes without hearing about
death – either natural or senseless murders in villages. It appears that Acholi
land is hungry for human flesh because the land is not being fully utilized to
improve life. Acholi land is arable land which can sustain mechanized and
modern farming. People here have to come to a convergence that their primary
source of wealth is the soil under their feet. According field extension specialist, Simon
Ojok Odoch and Food for the Hungry - Kitgum manager, Seydou Adolatona, Mzee
Obaldo was a prominent beneficiary of Food for the Hungry’s livelihood programs
while still living in IDP camp in Lira Palwo Subcounty from 2006-2008.
Farming is
popular here and yields have not been bad in the previous farming season
according to villagers I spoke to in Pajule, Acholibur and Awere. The problem
is reliable market for the produces and once disposed, how to plan to use to
proceeds to meet basic household needs. Many people would rather buy alcohol
than cloths and shoes for their school age children. Schools are charging PTA
and other expenses at a meager cost of 5000 – 10000/= which many of the farming
communities here can easily afford. I have gone to homes where children are
staying home because their parents have not paid school dues of 10000/= for
primary school and 50,000/= for secondary school.
This is
upsetting because you find in such homes, there are chicken, goats, cows, pigs,
sheep etc loitering around about. The current market price of chicken is about
15,000/= which could place three children in school. The current market price
of a mature goat is 80,000 – 90,000/= which can put two children through
secondary school. The market for pork is insatiable in restaurants and pork
joints, and yet the supply is painstakingly very sluggish.
These contradictions
bring to mind one question. Are we valuing the education of our children or we
do value keeping animals at home? I believe that on the average, most families
here can put their children through primary and secondary school under the
UPE/USE. Emphasis on livelihood and household income generation has been made
and responses are good.
What remains prudent is to alter the mindset to
encourage purposive investment in food production for education. Each child
should be tasked with the responsibility of tending to his/her animals or field
to ensure that they stay in school.
The addiction
created by NGO culture of donation and offering free supplies must be surpassed
so that people can become self-reliant to live longer like Mzee Obaldo. I end
this piece by encouraging clan chiefs and leaders to attend urgently to the
problem of alcoholism in northern Uganda.
END
