UGANDA: NORTHERN UGANDA WOMEN FOOD BASKET ORGANISATION EMPOWERS OVER 500 IN GULU AND OMORO THROUGH FUNCTIONAL ADULT LITERACY

Esther Auma, 75 years old, one of women adult literacy learners who for the last 75 years, remained illiterate, lacked self-esteem, and could not talk in public unlike many of her peers but now turned confident.

This, after being enrolled in basic literacy, strengthening livelihoods and income security, gender and empowerment through adult program learning. She is, within a short time,exhibiting leadership qualities.

Who knew that Adult Literacy Program of Kica Ber Group under the Northern Uganda Women Food Basket Organisation would attract Esther Auma, 75 years old. She is now a leader in her class. Some of her peer beneficiaries have joined elective political positions to become Local Councilors 1 chairpersons, one lady in Pader was elected Local Councilor III.

GULU DISTRICT: THRUSDAY, 4^TH JULY 2024

By Livingstone Okumu Langol

At 5.30 a.m. East African time, on Thursday July 4^th 2024, a group from Northern Uganda Media Club boarded a hired taxi from Gulu City to take them to Ajulu Kal, 27 kilometers north in Patiko Sub County a historical site known to be a slave trade collection center in Uganda, popularly known as Fort Patiko.

Ajulu Fort Patiko is just a stone throw from where Esther Auma has been attending a literacy program run by Ajulu Kal Kica Ber Adult literacy CBO that has been in operation since 2017.

The CBO sprung up when Northern Uganda Women Food Basket Organization.(NUFOBO), saw the need to work through a CBO to take up the task of adult literacy program. The program has some affirmative targeting elderly women, disabled people, people living with HIV/AIDS and theyouth.

Auma, now a leader at Kica Ber Adult literacy says she has never dream that one time she would become a leader. She says when God opens up a way, nothing can stand on the way.

Citing the case of one lady who had separated from her husband because of GBV, she says they have managed to rescue her, taken her through a mental healing program; they have united her with her three children.

“I didn’t know how to write my name, but after enrolling for the Adult literacy programme, I can write my name,” Esther proudly says. She mumbles the correct spelling in English:“E, S,T,H,E, R.”

“I dress in my uniform like school girl.“I tuck  my  blouse in the skirt.” I am now farming with my fellow learners, we plant Soya beans. “I am healthy, together with my fellow older women, including young ladies and young men who have misses their education during the LRA insurgency, we are now happy.” Esther narrates.

Adok Rosalyn, 48 years old, one of the learners says because of women,adult literacy has brought tangible change in Ajulu Kal village. “Northern Uganda Women Food Basket Organization has brought joy to us mothers.” She says.

“When we started coming here (to learn), our husbands doubted if we could cope and learn anything, but now they are happy with us, we can now laugh in our house,” Rosalyn says.“We have known that our breasts can keep our husbands warm and out buttocks,” “We know how to comfort our men, even entice them to enjoy, sex,” she elaborates in a straightforward way.

Adok is not afraid to talk about her HIV status and discloses “I am living with HIV, and I had no hope for surviving, but with the healing that I have gone through in Kica Ber Group, I am feeling strong in the Lord,” she says.

Akello H, 42 years old, is also a beneficiary of the same adult literacy programme. She claims that before enrolling for the program, GBV was the order of the day in their house but now she is equipped with all the trick to avert GBV.

Ocaya Emmanuel, 22 years old Is one of the adult literacy beneficiaries of Kica Ber. He disclosed that he was a drug addict, but through Food Basket Women Groups, he has abandoned smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol.

“I did vocational training in Carpenter and Joinery, I am now a good builder, whoever has his house for roofing I can now roof it,” Ocaya proudly says.

The Executive Director Northern Uganda Women Food Basket Organization, Alice Apio says the organization started in 2017, after the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict, waned in Northern Uganda. She notes that the war affected women did not have the opportunity to go to school, and therefore missed out on education and life skills; they were in darkness, she asserts.

“This is the only opportunity for them to revitalize their lives (through Northern Uganda Women Food Basket Organization).“We know our initiative one of the best ways to open up their eyes, and we give it our best. “If someone goes to school, they know what is bad and what is good, they can analyse and articulate issues through Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT),” she asserts.

Apio disclosed that so far they gave taken through over 500 participants in their adult literacy program. She says some youth who started from their programme have joined various vocational and technical institutes. She says some of them have turned to formal education, joined primary seven, sat for Primary Leaving Examinations, got their certificates and continued with further education.

Apio revealed that the organization is so far working in Gulu District, Gulu City, and Omoro District, and that they enroll 40 learners per class.

The Executive Director revealed that the challenges they are facing  is that since their CBO deals directly with the community, they are not well known, their mission, vision are not well known to international community and the donors, that could have given them more support.

She says the second challenge, is navigating how to work with people from difference backgrounds, who are difficult to bring under one roof, since they to have difference experience and come along with different kinds of conflicts. “Whatever happens to us, we face the liability, and we lack legal representation,” she says.

“The families that had disintegrated, we have re-united, and we have reduced wife beating,” Apio claimed.”

Phillip Ocitti, adult literacy trainer conducted literacy training for 40 minutes as a class demonstration during NUMEC presence.  The first woman to rise up and read the words on the backboard was Esther Auma and she boasted that age is just a number. She correctly read through sentences written in the Lwo language.

Phillip Ociti, pointed at the black board and Esther read what he had written. “

“Wan wa wero werdwar.“Ochen we,wekbalo cam.”

Rosalynn Akello, also read the song in Lwo. “Yee Okwera wangocwinyayee, wamitotoki, can dek kara rac.”

One woman called Irene, read too,“Omyerowawormegiwa, ki wegiwa. Otim tye ka RweyoDwar.”

Elsewhere it was all praise for a similar programme that runs at Akonyibedo in the outskirts of Gulu City and at KoroRom A and B in Omoro District

.