A Woman & her Land - Uganda Land Alliance

Betrayed by a friend she loved so much, AyaSanta (56), a widow with six children to carefor, did not sit back and look on as her land wasunfairly grabbed.She pursued the case, and through the LC IIcourt, had the judgment in her way and broke thestereotype in Acholi culture of women not beingallowed to own land; and even when her friendcumtormentor attempted to violate the terms ofthe ruling, Aya sought the intervention of the ULALand Rights Desk Office-Pader and the case wasresolved. She did not only win back her land, butalso was re-united with her old friend Okumu.It is a common practice in Acholi culture for peopleto permit their close friends to use part of theirland for cultivation. This was the case in the 70sfor Santa when approached by her long time friendOkumu Demu. According to their bilateral verbalCase Studiesleft with no option but to seek legal redress andmediation through the LCs and later ULA, and shewon her piece of land back.When the ULA team visited the reconciled Aya andOkumu in Ogom Sub-County, there was evidentjoy on the faces of the two friends-cum foes-cumfriendsas Aya Santa narrated her experience. Inher final words as we departed from her home,Aya said, “I thank the LCs and the Uganda LandAlliance for saving my land…”Observations:On a positive note, we witnessed the involvement ofthe community in defending Aya. As we interviewedher, leaders including the LCIII, LCII, Parish Chief,neighbors, children and friends all gathered manyof them uninvited-and they qualified Aya’s case.agreement, Okumu was to use the land for a periodof one year after which he was required to hand itback to Aya.Three (3) years later, Santa was still waiting to haveher land back when she and others were forcedinto the IDP camp following the Lord’s ResistanceArmy insurgency. At the same time, Okumu joinedthe army. Recently when Okumu resigned fromthe army and returned to the village, he settled onthe land formerly allowed him to use by Santa, butthen the land owner also badly needed her landtoo as the insurgency had ended and camps werebeing disbanded. When Okumu resisted, Aya wasSanta Aya with her son Micheal Oloya7