SUVs - Ugandan Style

In the West, SUVs (small utility vehicles) are increasingly popular as they provide flexibility to ferry family members from A to B and allow you to carry a wide variety of loads.  In Uganda, the motorcycle appears to be the idea SUV as the following photo montage shows ...

Ideal for two people
(N.B. crash helmets must be worn by the rider
but the pillion passenger(s) are not required to wear one)

Equally adaptable to carry the family
(N.B. the crash helmet law is largely disobeyed!)

Adaptable to carry the family and luggage

Large loads carried easily

Ideal for bulky loads (no door pillars to restrict load size!)

Copes with all terrains (two wheel plus two feet drive!)



 

Charcoal - Income Source v Environmental Concern

In the West Nile, the fort or tree cover is under increasing threat from charcoal makers. In recent years, there region has identified new markets for charcoal in Southern Sudan. As a result many people in the districts of Arua, Koboko and Yumbe are cashing in on the trade. A bag of charcoal in Southern Sudan is sold for 40,000 shillings, four times what it costs in Uganda.

However, whilst this trade is an additional and welcome source of income for families that would otherwise be dependent on subsistence farming there is a downside. The trade is leading to widespread felling of trees for charcoal has increased throughout the West Nile, which is unmonitored and has no regard to the impact of the loss of tree cover on the micro-climate and the impact on soil conditions.

Ugandan charcoal makers have an advantage over their counterparts across the border because of years of experience on how exactly to make the biofuel in order to maximize profits. One Arua-based charcoal trader has been reported as stating that the brisk business with South Sudan has enabled him to build his own house and pay school fees for all his children.

Traditional charcoal burning

Sacks of prepared charcoal ready for sale

Use of charcoal is linked to degradation of forests and woodland resources as well as widespread soil erosion. According to the National Environment Management Authority, Uganda has lost more than 50% of its forest cover in the past 30 years. Part of the reason for this is deforestation for charcoal production.

Earlier in 2016, the West Nile District Councils united to introduce legislation which make charcoal production as a commercial business illegal. It remains to be seen how successful this ban will be ...

Feast of St. Gabriel, St. Michael and St. Raphael Archangels

Today (Thursday 29 September 2016) is the Feast of St. Michael, St. Raphael and St. Gabriel.  We prayer to St. Michael to defend us against Satan and all his empty promises, to St. Gabriel as God's messenger and St. Raphael God's healer.

Heavenly Father, you have given us archangels to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.
Saint Michael is our protector, I ask him to come to my aid, fight for all my loved ones, and protect us from danger.
Saint Gabriel is a messenger for the Good News, I ask him to help me clearly, hear your voice and to teach me the truth.
Saint Raphael is the healing angel, I ask him to take my need for healing and that of everyone I know, lift it up to your throne of grace and deliver back to us the gift of recovery.
Help us O Lord to realize more fully the reality of the archangels and their desire to serve us. Holy Angels pray for us.

Amen

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen

Uganda's Drinking Culture

Uganda has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the East African region.  Perhaps more worrying, a recent survey of drinking behaviour across East African showed that nearly 90% of Uganda’s alcohol consumption was from unregulated alcohol, i.e. home produced alcohol, mostly distilled from cassava and other root vegetables.

Typical home still

It is estimated that Ugandans drink, on average nearly 24 litres of pure alcohol per annum. The same study reported that in Rwanda and Burundi the annual consumption was about 22.0 litres per person and just under 19 litres per person in Kenya and slightly less in Tanzania.
 
The majority of alcohol consumed in Uganda is distilled spirits.  The health risks from such high levels of alcohol consumption are worrying.  The very high percentage of home distilled spirits exacerbates the health risks as the home distillation is unregulated and the risk of adulteration is high.  There is significant health data to show that alcohol poisoning is a significant cause of early death and also a major cause of blindness where the spirits contain methanol.However, despite these significant concerns, especially amongst the male population and the undoubted negative impact on Uganda’s economy and society, there does not appear to be any laws to curtail unregulated production.  Indeed, when visiting rural villages, I have noted that most will include a still which is being used openly within the village and so, in many ways, “normalising” home distillation and have seen  children preparing cassava for use in the still.

Villagers young and old preparing cassava for the still

I have also seen that regulated alcohol is widely available and there appear to be few controls on purchase and consumption.  When I first arrived, I wondered what the small empty plastic sachets that appeared to litter the roadside were.  I quickly learnt that they had contained Ugandan gin and vodka.  These sachets contain 50ml or 100ml of alcohol and can be purchased for a few shillings. 

The District Councils in the West Nile are considering introducing legislation to ban the sale of these sachets as it is believed that they are a significant factor in the area’s drinking culture.  However, unless such legislation is country-wide and mindful of the fact that only 11% of alcohol consumption is from the regulated market, it is difficult to see how such a ban could make a significant positive impact.



  


 

 

 

 

 

Back to School

On Monday 26 September 2016, the schools in the West Nile re-opened after the summer break.  For many secondary school children this has meant packing to return to boarding school.  The West Nile is predominately a rural area and so the distances between home and school outside of the main towns of Arua, Gulu and Nebbi mean that it is impracticable for most to walk to and from school each day.  The challenges of the road network adds to these difficulties.

Over the last few days, I have seen many motorcycles loaded with a metal school trunk, rolled up mattress 9the schools provide beds but the pupils must bring their own bedding, including a mattress), yellow jerry can (to enable the pupil to collect water from the borehole) and bucket (for washing) with Dad taking a son or daughter back to school.

Typical Ugandan Lunches

After out meeting in Zombo yesterday, we stopped off at a small roadside café in Paidha for a late lunch.  I opted for the local bean stew and rice and Alfred had stewed goat with a mixture of vegetables:

Stewed goat and vegetables (pumpkin, cassava and yams)

Beans and rice



FISH with Caritas Nebbi

Yesterday (27 September 2016), I attended a presentation by Caritas Nebbi’s progamme director, Alfred Masendi, to representatives of Zombo District and Zeu and Kango Sub-Counties.  The presentation was to inform the attendees about a pilot programme aimed delivering food and income security for households in Zeu and Kango (FISH programme).  The pilot programme is being run with funding from Caritas Belgium and an undertaking has been given, subject to a satisfactory report, for further funding over 3 years to roll the programme out in both areas and potentially more widely within the Diocese of Nebbi. 

Meeting venue at Zombo District Offices

The meeting provided me with an excellent insight into the challenges faced by NGOs running food and income security projects in rural Uganda (and I suspect that the challenges are to be found in many other countries across the developing world).  It was also an opportunity to understand how outcomes can be improved through positive collaboration between partners.  In this case, Caritas Nebbi and Belgium as the NGOs, the Catholic parishes and local community leaders and the local and regional government.

The pilot programme will work with 5 families from each Zeu and Kango Sub-Counties.  Zeu is about 50km from Nebbi and has a population of around 18,000 and 70% of the population is female.  Kango is just over 60km from Nebbi and has a population of 13,000 and 65% of the population is female.  Both communities are rural and the population are primarily subsistence farmers.  This area is close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

 

Map showing route from Nebbi to Kango

     

Map showing route from Nebbi to Zeu

The soil in both areas is fertile but heavy and so difficult to work.  The farmers rely on hand tools to work the land and most have had little or no formal education and so rely on farming practice that they have inherited and will plant the same crops year on year regardless of changes in the market demand or prices for these crops.  Surplus crops are relatively rare due to these limitations and indeed in many cases, famers struggle to grow sufficient food to feed their families, leave alone to generate the income needed to pay schools fees and medical costs.

The road network is very poor, especially during the rainy seasons; the roads are unmade murrum mix and so become very muddy and heavily potholed making journeys difficult and long.   I can take between 3 and 4 hours to make the journey by road from Nebbi to Zeu or Kango, depending on the state of the roads.  These difficulties also make it very difficult for the communities to access markets in Paidha, Nebbi and Arua very difficult and often impossible.  This means that they are reliant on selling any surplus crops to passing trade and so unable to secure good prices.  For example, a sack of avocados, tomatoes or beans which could be sold in the market in Nebbi for 100,000 to 150,000 UGS are sold for around 30,000 UGS on the roadside.  Therefore, the farmers invariably lose out on valuable income.

The pilot project will work with the households that have been selected from each area on the advice of the respective Parish Priests based on their knowledge of the commitment to improving their livelihoods and incomes to build a better future for themselves and their families.  Caritas Nebbi, together with staff from Zombo District Council, will provide training on agricultural practice, including crop planting and care, cropping and crop storage, record keeping and marketing; the pilot households will also receive seeds and where necessary tools to enable them to maximise the returns from their land; Caritas will also work with the households to secure the best market prices for the surplus crops and this will include training the families in the benefits to bulking (i.e. pooling their crops to secure a better market price). 

The pilot will also include working with the two communities to establish VLSA (village savings and loans associations) and provide bursaries for 4 vulnerable young people (two from each community) to enable them to enrol for vocational training in metal fabrication, mechanics, carpentry, joinery, hairdressing or catering (these areas of employment have been identified as offering good employment opportunities).

 From the early weeks of the pilot, Caritas Nebbi has identified a number of challenges, including:

• Time – the remoteness of the two communities from each other and Caritas Nebbi’s base and the logistics of travel between the communities have meant that it has taken longer than anticipated to establish the framework for the pilot in each community; it has also taken longer than hoped to reach agreement with the pilot households over the arrangements for training, etc.
• Road infrastructure – as highlighted above, the road network is very poor and often planned visits have had to be postponed simply because the roads are impassable after heavy rain; similarly, farmers have been unable to attend training events or have arrived very late for the same reasons.
• Managing expectations – some of the farmers have failed to embrace their role in ensuring the success of the pilot and have had unrealistic expectations about what Caritas Nebbi staff will “do” for them in improving their livelihoods.
• Land fragmentation – in many cases, the households’ land is not held as a single parcel but rather the households farm several small areas of land and these are often long distances from each other and can only be reached on foot or, if dry enough, by motorcycle.
• Distances between households – although each household lies within the same Parish and Sub-County, they are spread across a wide area; this means it is difficult and time consuming for the pilot members to meet with each other and for Caritas Nebbi staff to visit more than two households in a single day.

Despite these challenges, the pilot has, to date, found very high levels of engagement and participation from the households.  There is a clear desire to learn and work with the Caritas staff and those from their respective Sub-Counties to improve their knowledge of farming and cultivation and how to maximise the yields from their land and so raise their household income.  The pilot has also shown that the farmers have a good understanding of their local or micro-climate and which crops grow best on which plots of land and are keen to work with Caritas to apply this knowledge to new crops.

The pilot will run until around Easter 2017 and is subject to ongoing review.  The ongoing reviews are already showing very positive outcomes and the pilot households are benefiting from improved incomes and so becoming more sustainable.  Indeed, the early outcomes have already secured Caritas Belgium’s commitment to a longer term programme.

The Father of the Poor

Today, the Catholic Church remembers St. Vincent de Paul who worked tirelessly in the early 1600s for the poor.  He was born into a French peasent family on 24 April 1581 and was educated by the Franciscans. He did so well, he was hired to tutor the children of a nearby wealthy family. He used the monies he earned teaching to continue his formal studies at the University of Toulose where he studied theology.

 He was ordained in 1600. He became pastor of a small parish in Clichy for a short period of time.  From that point forward he spent his life preaching missions to and providing relief to the poor. He even established hospitals for them. This work became his passion. The need to evangelize was so great and the demands beyond his own ability to meet, so he founded the Ladies of Charity, a lay institute of woman, to help, as well as a religious institute of priests - the Congregation of Priests of the Mission, commonly referred to now as the Vincentians.

This was at a time when there were not many priests in France and what priests there were, were neither well-formed nor faithful to their way of life. Vincent helped reform the clergy and the manner in which they were instructed and prepared for the priesthood.

The Vincentians remain with us today with nearly 4,000 members in 86 countries. In addition to his order of Vincentian priests, St. Vincent co-founded the Daughters of Charity along with St. Louise de Marillac. There are more than 18,000 Daughters today serving the needs of the poor in 94 countries. He died in Paris on September 27, 1660. St. Vincent de Paul "become the symbol of the successful reform of the French Church" and he is sometimes referred to as "The Apostle of Charity" and "The Father of the Poor".

"Even though the poor are often rough and unrefined, we must not judge them from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have received. On the contrary, if you consider the poor in the light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor. 

 

Although in his passion he almost lost the appearance of a man and was considered a fool by the Gentiles and a stumbling block by the Jews, he showed them that his mission was to preach to the poor: He sent me to preach the good news to the poor. We also ought to have this same spirit and imitate Christ’s actions, that is, we must take care of the poor, console them, help them, support their cause. 

 

Since Christ willed to be born poor, he chose for himself disciples who were poor. He made himself the servant of the poor and shared their poverty. He went so far as to say that he would consider every deed which either helps or harms the poor as done for or against himself. Since God surely loves the poor, he also loves those who love the poor. For when one person holds another dear, he also includes in his affection anyone who loves or serves the one he loves. That is why we hope that God will love us for the sake of the poor. So when we visit the poor and needy, we try to understand the poor and weak. We sympathize with them so fully that we can echo Paul’s words: I have become all things to all men. 

 

Therefore, we must try to be stirred by our neighbours’ worries and distress. We must beg God to pour into our hearts sentiments of pity and compassion and to fill them again and again with these dispositions."

 

Gambling in Uganda

When I first arrived in Uganda, from the drive from Entebbe Airport into Kampala, I would have said that gambling in Uganda was getting behind the wheel of a car or on a motorcycle.

Over the last 10 years or so, there has been a proliferation of lottery, casinos and sports betting in Uganda. Gambling related tax revenue has increased by about fifty fold to around UGX 13.6 billion in 2015/2016.  Alongside this and in contrast to the welcome revenue and taxes, gambling is also associated with undesirable socio-economic problems. In Uganda, as elsewhere in the world, excessive gambling can result in a wide range of problems affecting the individual, their family, their community and more widely society. The impact of excessive gambling can lead to mental health problems, financial worries, loss of employment, study and close relationships and legal difficulties; within families it can result in domestic violence and children with higher rates of behavioural, emotional and substance use problems; and the wider society, due to the likely increases in absenteeism from work, lost economic productivity and increased crime rates.
 
The negative impact of gambling is also becoming an increasing public health issues. although gambling is positioned as a legitimate recreational and leisure activity within Uganda, there is widespread recognition among health care professionals and policy makers alike that, like alcohol consumption. Currently, there are no specific policy targets relating to harm minimization strategies for problem gambling. The heightened exposure of Ugandans to gambling with betting shops (most of which are unlicensed) now visibly clustering together in even the smaller of towns represents an issue of significant concern. These issues are further exacerbated because of the underlining issues of poverty (in the rural areas of Uganda, most households have an income of less than $1 per day) and high levels of unemployment, especially amongst the young.

Strategies to increase education and public awareness regarding the issue of problem gambling in Uganda are of core necessity. There is no government strategy to address in negative impact of gambling on Ugandan society. Despite the significant tax revenue from the Ugandan government none of this income is being directed to fund initiatives to reduce problematic gambling, protect the young from becoming addicted to gambling or to alleviate the impact on the families of those with a gambling addiction.

When making the short walk from Caritas into Nebbi itself, I pass many groups of people (mostly young men) playing cards or rolling dice for money. Slot machines (albeit that when compared to the machines that are now commonplace in pubs and betting shops in the UK, they appear more like museum pieces) are found openly displayed outside shops and cafes on the roadside of even the smallest of towns. 

 Playing dice

Typical Ugandan slot machines

Playing cards

 

 

 

 

Sunday in the Sun

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday 25 September 2016), my now usual afternoon stroll somehow ended up at The Gaf and as it was a very warm afternoon, I couldn't resist stopping off to a very cold Nile Special, and time to read my book ...

 

And yes, it tasted as good as it looks!

 

Cheers!

Cosmas and Damian

If I was at home today (Monday 26 September 2016), there would be a feline party!  On this day last year, our two cats - Cosmas and Damian - took up residence!  They arrived on the feast of St. Cosmas and St. Damian and hence their names. 

So who were Cosmas and Damian?  Nothing is known of their lives except that they suffered martyrdom in Syria during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian (c. 247AD). According to Christian traditions, the twin brothers were born in Arabia and became skilled doctors. During the persecution under Diocletian, Cosmas and Damian were arrested by order of the Prefect of Cilicia, one Lysias who is otherwise unknown, who ordered them under torture to recant. However, according to legend they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were inseparable from them throughout life, shared in their martyrdom.

It is a sad reality that today, some 1,769 years later, Christians in Syria and across the Middle East face persecution and martyrdom for their faith.

Father in Heaven, you make your sun shine
on good and bad alike.
Your Son Jesus Christ died for us all
and in his glorious Resurrection
He still retains the five wounds of his Passion.
With his divine power he now sustains
all those who suffer persecution and martyrdom
for the sake of their fidelity
to the faith of the Church.
Merciful and mighty Father,
do not allow Cain to return again to murder
helpless Abel, innocent Abel.
May persecuted Christians around the world
remain, like Mary, their Mother,
together at the foot of the cross
of Christ the Martyr.
Comfort those menaced by violence
and those oppressed by uncertainty.
May your Holy Spirit of love
make fruitful the witness and the blood
of those who die forgiving.

Amen

Something to Sing about at Mass Today

Over the last few weeks, there has been an appeal to raise funds for a new electronic keyboard for Nebbi Cathedral Parish.  The appeal was to raise the 7,500,000 UGS (about £1,700) needed to purchase the keyboard, mixer desk and speakers.  Father Albert, the Parish Priest, has a great gift for encouraging his parishioners to part with money, including me!  Yesterday (Saturday 24 September 2016) arrived and was immediately put to use for choir practice,

Straight out of the packaging and the new keyboard and mixer desk are put to good use

(no time to tidy up the packaging!)

 

 

Youth Choir in good voice now accompanied by new keyboard

 

The singing at Mass this morning felt all the more joyful thanks to the new keyboard,

 



Thought for Today

Prompted by Facebook and mindful of the violence in Arua I posted about earlier this week, I felt that these words of Pope Francis commend an important message to and for us all,

Catechetics in Nebbi Cathedral Parish - First Holy Communion Class

I have been assisting the Parish Catechists with the First Communion preparation classes.  This is something I have helped out with at home and very much enjoy helping prepare youngsters to receive Our Blessed Lord Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.

At home First Communion classes are mostly 7 and 8 year olds but here in Nebbi Cathedral Parish the age range is much greater.  The oldest members of the group are 18 and 19 ears old.  The desire to receive the Holy Eucharist does not appear to diminish as age increases and the older members of the group have been as engaged as the 7 and 8 year olds.

The group will make their First Holy Communion in the next couple of weeks and so, please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this great day.  Also, please pray for the Catechists who are working hard to prepare these youngsters.

Master, Teach us how to pray (in Alur)

The prayer Our Blessed Lord Himself taught His Apostles is the prayer which unites all Christians.  It is a prayer we recite daily and it is the perfect prayer.  In it we adore God our Father, we give thanks for all He has done for us, we confess our sinfulness and we offer supplication.

Here is the Lord's Prayer in Alur, the local dialect spoken in the Nebbi area of the West Nile -

Wegwa ma ni i polo,dong' Nyingi bed leng'
Dong' ker peri bin
Dong' yeny ma cwinyi yenyo utimbre i ng'om calu m'etimbre ko i polo
Tinuni mi iwa kwen mwa ma ku ba rupiny
Wek dub mwa ma wadubo urwiny woko, calu wan de waweko dub ma judubo iwa urwinyo woko
Kud itel wiwa i yoj abidhe
Ento ilarwa re kud i dubo
Kum ker ubedo peri, ku tego de, ku dwong' bende
Ma rondo ku rondo

Amen

 

Tribal Conflict in Arua

In previous posts I have referred to tribal conflicts.  Indeed, it was concerns about tribal violence that lead to the decision, here at Caritas Nebbi, not to travel to Aura for the Requiem Mass for Emeritus Bishop Fredrick Drandua who died on 1 September 2016.

Sadly, the unrest that erupted following Bishop Drandua's death has not abated and overnight the situation deteriorated significantly.  It has been reported that heavy gunshots have been heard throughout the night at Ediofe, the seat of the Arua Diocese, about 3 kilometres west of Arua itself.

The police, reinforced by the army, are reported to be fighting running battles with a group of irate Christians in Arua that reportedly massed overnight in an attempt to evict the Bishop of Arua, Bishop Sabion Odoki. 

The police and army are understood to have removed some people who had, since the burial three weeks ago of Bishop Drandua, camped at his graveside at Ediofe Cathedral. This group have claimed to be mourning and protecting the burial site amid reports that some unnamed people planned to tamper with it.  Their expulsion was followed by riots outside the Cathedral, including destroying the makeshift structure for Sunday Masses since the Cathedral is undergoing renovation.  It has also been reported that, the Cathedral's bells tolled in a coded invite for Christians to gather.

 

The latest reports (mid-morning 22 September 2016) indicate that the police is still firing teargas, and that groups of youths have gathered at the football pitch of the nearby Ediofe Primary School,  at Yitia, Arua's main trading centre, and, behind the Cathedral itself.

Bishop Odoki's appointment was not welcomed by many in Arua who maintained that as he was from a different tribe he would not understand the people of the Diocese.  Since Bishop Drandu's death, many have accused Bishop Odoki of treating his predecessor badly after the Diocese failed to raise money, and allegedly declined guarantee, for his treatment in Italy.  It was also reported that Bishop Odoki, Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama and Arua Diocese Vicar General were pelted with stones during the burial.

Please pray for peace in Arua and for reconciliation and concord between Bishop Odoki and the people of his Diocese.  It is a sad irony that only yesterday, Pope Francis, alongside leaders of many other faiths, met in Assisi to pray for peace and he warned that religion should never be used to justify war or conflict,

"Our religious traditions are diverse. But our differences are not the cause of conflict and provocation, or a cold distance between us. We have not prayed against one another today, as has sometimes unfortunately occurred in history. Without syncretism or relativism, we have rather prayed side-by-side and for each other... It is a virus that paralyzes, rendering us lethargic and insensitive, a disease that eats away at the very heart of religious fervour, giving rise to a new and deeply sad paganism: the paganism of indifference... We must never tire of repeating that the name of God cannot be used to justify violence. Peace alone, and not war, is holy! Our future consists in living together. For this reason we are called to free ourselves from the heavy burdens of distrust, fundamentalism and hatred."

Ugandan Music - Alur-style

I am sure most people when asked to think about African music will immediately think of the traditional African drum carved from wood and covered with animal hide. The drums are "tuned" by placing them outside in the sun and so warming the hide and the air within the drum cavity
 

Two other traditional instruments I have heard played at church and at other celebrations I have attended in and around Nebbi are a harp called an adungu and the agwara which is a side-blown horn. 

 

The adungu is a stringing instrument of the Alur people of the West Nile region of Uganda. It is an arch shaped harp of varying size and typically have from seven to ten strings.

 

 

The agwara comes from the Lugbara and Kebu tribes of the western Nile region and are played in groups of seven or more. These side-blown horns sometimes have a single finger hole.  The horns are made of cow horns and have only one mouthpiece; they are only used for communicating or giving signals.     

    

Thought for the Day (spotted on Facebook)

Couldn't resist sharing this post I spotted on Facebook ...

If only things were this simple!