Destruction or Development? Stepping on a fine line

Yesterday was a day like no other. I found myself taking part in a ceremonial day of dancing, fasting and feasting. I learned more about Karamoja, the culture of the people and the importance and interconnection of land, cattle and people.

A young goat herder tending to his animals

It all started Saturday afternoon when I was having a catch up meeting with Teba and Simon. We were discussing the various issues with mineral resources and further steps to take to try to highlight the issues of the exploitation of the region. We were then joined by two women from Kautako, an area just outside of Moroto. An area that now holds a large sign advertising for Karamoja Industrial Business Park. I had heard there was contention for the land, but I did not realize on what scale this was. The women were visibly upset that their land, the land of their ancestors, where they are buried and an area that holds such strong cultural, sentimental and historic value is now to be turned into an industrial park. Which most likely involves the building of factories, as the rumor is one of the main actors coming in is a cement company. This will not only destroy this piece of land, but will also further pollute and make the areas around uninhabitable. I say this because the people here are pastoralist, they live off the land, they graze their cattle in this area and they depend on what has until now been a non-pollutant zone for their livelihood. The women we were meeting with seemed to be at the end of solutions. They have been fighting to regain the rights to their land for a long time now, and no one has listened to them. They are fighting against money and power, all in the name of development. On their side are the people who live next to the land, illiterate pastoralists who do not claim land ownership as for them land does not belong to one person, it belongs to the community, to the people, to the cattle and anyone who might be making use of it. So how did this piece of land end up as an industrial park? Well it is not difficult to get elders, or one elder from one area who holds some claim to the land, as he is one of the people who uses it, to sign off on a piece of paper saying someone else now owns the land. This is most often done by taking advantage of the high illiteracy rate in the area, people simply do not know what they are signing off on, and as the Karimojong are very hospitable people they become easy targets for people with money and power, who do not hesitate to abuse the rights of the weak.

Elders begin to arrive for the day

So this meeting led to me waking up early on Sunday morning and getting ready to go to Kautako. The people who live there were preparing to make use of the last traditional means of asking for help from their land, from their god and from their people. This included a ceremony of animal sacrifice in the form of 2 cattle, a day of fasting for the people and the animals in the area and a traditional Akiriket with the elders to ask for advice and help in what is a seemingly hopeless situation for the people there.

I wasn't sure what to expect walking into this traditional ceremonial day, but whatever I had expected this was not it. It was a day of linking to the environment, seeing the beauty of the culture of Karamoja and understanding the strength and power that they hold in their traditional ways. I have never in my life seen so many people so involved and passionate about what they are doing, and the belief in how their tradition will carry them through the issues they face. I will add some pictures here now as I think the pictures and videos will explain more as I honestly do not think I can adequately describe in words the feelings I associate by being given the honor to take part in this day.

A bull has been appointed to be sacrificed, here the elders are negotiating with the owner

The owner has to be convinced to sacrifice his bull, a circular walk with song followed by more negotiations

The men have agreed and another man steps forward to offer compensation as well as the honor of killing the bull

The bull is killed by spearing and blood is drunk directly after the kill

The women have their own role in the ceremonial day and arrive in large groups singing

The women, young and old gather in circles

Everyone is fasting until the bull is prepared and prayers have been said. This includes the cattle who are herded around in circles while everyone joins in to sing and dance around the cattle

The local brew is consumed throughout the day ( can't say no to that)

Sacred cow dung is spread on forehead, chests and feet (joining in was of course a must) - then the remainder of the cow dung is spread on the cattle before they are released from their fasting

The animals were released from their fasting, and the elders prayed and discussed various issues including the land issue and how to deal with the new challenges that face them. Afterwards the meat from the sacrificed cow was distributed and feasted upon by those present. Earlier in the day, right after the sacrifice was made the intestines of the animal was brought to an elder who read the future looking at the intestines and giving meaning to what he saw. This was a day of sacrifice, learning and prayer for the people and for me. This was unlike any experience I have ever encountered, even through my many months spent in other parts of Uganda. 

Dancing and celebrating the cattle and nature while driving them in circles for fasting

The beauty of the Karimojong shone through on this day for me. I have always been fascinated by cultures that have not changed to adapt to the modern way of life. This is one of them. This culture has a power to it that you can only sense by being here. The people are strong, they know more than I do through my many years in school. Their knowledge is connected to their land, their cattle and their everyday life. Looking at the Karimojong from the outside (Western) perspective, it is easy to think of them as backwards, living in the past, illiterate people that need the help of the modern society. Yet that is as far from the truth as you can get. The people might not know how to write or read, but they know how to survive in one of the toughest regions, they know how to walk for days, how to find water in what seems like desert areas. They know every one of their cattle by name, their knowledge is not measured in words, it’s measured in the strength of the people and the fact that this culture and way of life has survived until now. I look at my home in Norway and our culture is non-existent compared to what I encounter here, the people here are connected to the earth in a way which we lost touch with a long time ago. It shouldn't be regarded as their weakness, it should be their strength.

Obviously there is need for some development in the area, but the people here know what they need and what they want. They want schools, and they want better health care, but they do not want cement factories and large industrial parks which will ruin the environment and essentially the Karimojong themselves, because the land is the people there, you take their land, you take their way of life.

Simon joins in on the jumping/ dancing, clearly towering over the others :)

Yesterday also gave me a great sense of respect for the guys that I work with. They do belong to the Karimojong elite, they are well educated and have good jobs. Yet they were so proud to take part in this ceremonial day and learn from the people about what is essentially their own culture. They acknowledged that because they have lived the ‘privileged’ life, they have lost touch with many of things that we experienced yesterday, and they are so proud of the culture and the people who live here. The strength of KDF I think lies in this. It is an organization formed by the ‘elite’ Karimojong, but the core of their work is the people who were never given the opportunities which they had. They work so closely with these communities to truly grasp what is they want from the future and how this can be done in a way which doesn’t trample on their rights. I am very grateful that I get to be part of this for a little while, and already just being here a bit over a week I have learned more than any other job or internship I have had.

A successful field day - Thank you Teba and Simon from Karolien and I, your passion is inspiring

I know many of you reading this are far far away from the situation that I am in here, but I hope by reading this you might think of Karamoja for a little bit. I hope you get a glimpse into the beauty that is here, and the uniqueness of the culture and heritage. Writing this blog is not just about letting you all know what I am doing every day. I want to do my part in getting the word out there for the Karimojong and the threat to their basic human rights that they are now facing. I do not want to leave this place and come back in a few years and see the whole area turned into a modern development. That is not what the people want, and if my writing can help inspire others to take a second look at this region then I am doing my part. The people here are strong, but they have the highest illiteracy rate in the country, and as such they need protection. What they can teach me here is far more valuable than anything I could ever contribute with, and I hope that for the future, projects and governments coming into this area will not just see what they can teach the people, but what the people can teach them.

I could probably keep writing for another 30 pages about my experiences yesterday and my views of this area, but I think that is enough for now. This will be my last week in Karamoja before Christmas when I am heading to Tanzania to spend the holidays there. So a lot of work to be done here this week before I leave, so I will sign off now and get to it. I will try to upload some videos in the next few days, as internet has been a bit of a struggle today so couldn't make it happen unfortunately. 

X Maria