A section of the Karamojong reformed warriors, under the umbrella of the Karachunas Peace Movement, has returned home after a one-week study tour of agribusiness in western Uganda.
Last week, the seventy reformed warriors drawn from different districts within Karamoja were taken for a study tour where they visited experienced farmers in the districts of Kibale and Mubende. This was part of the effort to change their mindset practically and introduce them to agribusiness.
The Microfinance Support Center initiated the study tour to equip the reformed warriors with skills in agribusiness, livestock, and farm value addition and change their mindsets.
They shared their experiences stating that the commercial farms they visited were appealing and they vowed to copy and implement the same back in the region.
Lokurio Longok, a reformed man from Lokopo sub-county in Napak district, said he was surprised to find people living peacefully and wealthy in parts of western Uganda.
Longok observed that the people were living in harmony with many diversified economic activities, such as poultry, piggery, livestock, and crop production.
He was impressed and is now asking for help to enable them to implement the new skills that they have gained from the tour. He added that if supported through the groups, they would be able to economically transform and permanently drop the mindset of cattle rustling.
Longok noted that they are capable of changing the face of Karamoja because of the available resources such as land for commercial agriculture.
Longok vowed to share the knowledge with his colleagues and warned them against involving in nonproductive businesses such as cattle raiding and killings.
Wilson Longolemwai, another reformed warrior from the Amudat district lauded the microfinance support centre for organizing the tour that has changed their mindset.
Longolemwai says that the people from the areas they visited were organized in savings groups and were progressing economically while the Karamojong were still keeping cattle.
Longolemwai said that they have embraced peace and are now willing to cooperate with the government for economic transformation. He said that they have so far formed groups of about 120 where they save their money with later loans to other members who would wish to venture into businesses.
Longolemwai said that they have saved up to 100 million shillings which members have borrowed for doing business. He appealed to the government to open for them a group Sacco.
Kizito Agan, the chairperson of the Karachunas in Napak district urged the government to organize all the reformed warriors in one group where they can be supported directly.
Agan stressed that they need a special program targeting the reformed warriors for economic transformation and not to incorporate them with other community groups. He observed that most of the reformed warriors have missed out on the government programs because of the selection criteria which is based on nepotism.
Agan also noted that although the members have learned new ideas and mindset changes, they need support from the government to make them role models in society.
He revealed that their fellow reformed warriors and the community at large would only believe in them after seeing some positive impact from the people who went for study tours.
He appealed to the government to consider giving them the improved breeds of livestock and crop varieties which they saw doing well from the farms visited.
Agan also expressed his disappointment with the security officer for arresting one of their members immediately after he returned from the field trip. He warned that this kind of arrest discouraged the warriors from embracing peace and made them feel insecure in their own homes.
Howard Kathikou, the coordinator of Karachunas Peace Movement said that they have gained knowledge on data management, budgeting, and investments.
Kathikou they were shocked to find some places in Western Uganda that are also experiencing drought but have big farms. Kathikou observed that the farmers in Western Uganda are managing their enterprises through water conservation an idea which he is optimistic would apply to Karamoja.
Kathikou reiterated that all the new technology that is making farmers in western Uganda progress can also work for Karamoja if they render support.
Lydia Nambuya, the Moroto zonal manager for the Microfinance support center said that they have organized reformed warriors to form SACCOs in each district where they are supported directly with funds.
Nambuya said that they are looking at the exchange visits to support the Karachunas acquire the skills which they can implement to join the money economy.
She observed that the Karachunas are positively responding to the savings and some have managed to save up to a tune of 100 million shillings in their SACCO.
Nambuya said that they also support other government programs such as Emyooga to take them for exchange visits to learn new ideas and get lessons from different communities.
Nambuya said that they took 70 Karachunas and some women’s groups to the farms in the Mubende district where they learned new skills in agribusiness, livestock, and farm value addition.
Nambuya said that they are also looking at capitalizing the SACCOs through seed capital to enable them to boost their capital within their SACCOs. She said that they shall continue organizing such exchange visits to different places as one way of changing the mindset in the areas of conducting businesses and SACCO activities.
Lena Godfrey Lokwang, the Secretary for the Karachunas Peace Movement said that the reformed warriors had tasked President Museveni to help them fight poverty that has driven them to dubious acts.
Lokwang said that people have not ventured to alternative livelihoods instead they are struggling with livestock of less quality and persistent insecurity.
He observed that the vice has kept the community hostage for a long time and this should be the right time to break the barriers.
He urged the team to have a diversified enterprise to help them thrive to another level of economic transformation.
Lokwang said that they are trying to mentor the team to continue with the peace coexistence and to get viable economic enterprises.
Joseph Lobot, the LCV Chairperson of Amudat district pledged his support for the registration of the reformed warriors association so that the government can easily render any form of support.
Lobot noted grouping the reformed warriors and supporting them financially would enable them to address the challenge of insecurity since they have alternative livelihoods than raiding for survival.
He said that they will continue creating awareness for the Karachunas who are still trapped in the raids with a referral point for those who embraced peace and now thriving in money economy.
Lobot observed that the region can only be transformed by ensuring that people invest in different enterprises. He said there is also a need for land segmentation to know which land fits agriculture and livestock rearing-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
