Thinking ALOUD.
LUBANGA TYE GULU- TEST OF RESILIENCE.
THE LOCUSTS ATTACK: POST WAR FIGHTS A TEST OF RESILIENCE.
Lubanga tye Gulu ” God is in Gulu ” our brothers in the central and Southern Uganda always say. Literally that God is in Gulu. Gulu means heavens? Well, Northern and Eastern Uganda like Buganda in 1966 and 1980s, suffered the consequences of Uganda’s violent conflict and survived the wars by Grace of God.
The north and East eats 40% of Uganda’s poverty. But the people remained resilient. Even during the war, they maintained their dignity, many were killed on the way to tilt land for survival outside camps.
After leaving the camps, in 2007 to 2011, government didn’t set a deliberate law to compensate them. They had to start their own bootstraps. They had rehabilitate selves and clear former homes which were bushes into homes. Before the war they had wealth that saw them own fleets of cows and livestock. They were the breadbasket of the country.
Government with support of world bank and other donors brought in programs like NUSAF, Northern Uganda Social Action fund but were the biggest layers of corruption.
There emerged several NUSAF estates and homes. From corrupt government leaders . Then government did come up with PRDP- Plans for Recovery, peace and development. The $600 million dollars. But according to international Alert who researched the impact of the PRDP, it’s wanting. It became political as it spread in over 40 districts not restricted to rehabilitation of the affected area. In 2012, 50 billion shillings for PRDP was stolen in office of the prime.
The post war populace expected reparation and other compensation plans. Besides loosing over 30.000 children to abduction to the rebels, staying in camps where 1.8 million were herded like animals and lost everything including the devastating war effects, the population stayed resilient.
The war saw thousands of people massacred, and education destroyed with all traditional schools dead. There emerged diseases like Ebola that was defeated, then AIDS with its effects and resently nodding syndrome, likely affected chemicals in the war, from gun fumes to bombs and bad food. Education and health systems destroyed.
But inspite of these, no state of emergency was declared. Northern Uganda like other Ugandans. are resilient. The people lived on inspite of challenges.
Yes, the latest tormentor is the desert locusts. They started attacking fields prepared and crops. Little did they know, the people they are attacking are resilient. Now the locust is a danger but since they are delicious, people are working on them. My worry is the chemicals they sprayed on them from 3 countries in east Africa.
But all the same, I love their resilience and determination. And zeal to Express their dissatisfaction and expressing their resolve through their votes. For them, they have told the NRM government loudly that be with your National cake, we will oppose you. Yes they live on.
Mwaka Lutukumoi
