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42LivelihoodsEyareWhen we returned to Moroto, we analysedthe material from the 378 interviewsand 16 communities. It shows how people’slivelihoods are progressing. It helps usunderstand the opportunities that people valueand those that are just things to do because ofhunger. To us, a livelihood is for getting wealth,staying well, being able to eat, being able tobuild your family, your home and your culture.Most people want a livelihood of livestock andcrops together. In the wet season we take milkfrom animals while the crops grow and in thedry season milk stops and we eat our crops.Cattle and sorghum are a lifestyle and culturethat our people value highly. They give food andmoney, and also good relations and pride. Onlyabout half of the people have cows at present.Some people have kept some animals throughthe insecurity, and almost everyone else is usingany extra money they earn to build a herd.ANALYSISThe most commonlivelihoodsnow are charcoalmaking andsorghum growing,followed byfirewood, labouring,and then cattle. Women brewbeer, cut grass and build houses and boysand men go hunting and cut fencing material.Young people use their strength to digmurram, break stones and mine gold. Specialistsmake grain stores and knives and arrowheads.A few warriors take part in income-generatingpeace processes, and educated peopletry to get jobs with NGOs. Most people domany things.Heavy WorkWe found that the dangerous work of mining,quarrying and going to places all over Ugandais all because of hunger. The worst is begging inKampala. All the people who came backfrom the city say that they prefer tobe at home, relying on their ownhard work, even if some nightsthey go to bed hungry. Mining andquarrying are hard and people losetheir lives doingsuch work, but theydo it to regain cattle,not for its own sake.Going down those deep holes is what you dowhen there is nothing else. When we saw youngpeople struggling in those tunnels, we thoughtabout their strength and courage and how theygain it from each other. It is common to seethat a person from one district has befriendeda person from another. At the mines and quarriespeople of every tribe work side by side andcooperate. The hardship has united them andthey are willing to struggle together.Can we talk about why people do these kindsof harsh work? Is it because it is the best wayof life? We asked, why are you doing this? Theysaid that when this peace came, all their animalswere finished. They force themselves justto earn a living. They are not happy. Sometimespoverty can force you to do very heavy workto move on to other better things. If the cowsincrease again, people will not need to minegold or quarry stones in dangerous ways anymore. The work will remain to people who aredesperate. They will always be there.CattleSince we lost our cows, we are trying to catchup. Young people are struggling to achievesomething to buy a cow. The youth who havecattle and those who have been given cattle bytheir parents are those who are able to live agood life. With cattle we can marry, plough thegarden and do many different things. Cattle area sign of pride. The Karimojong culture cannotbe detached from us.
When a person only has a stick he cannotThe residue of malted graindefend his animals, so now the cattle stay inis food for young children.kraals protected by the army. The animals haveWomen can make a lot ofnothing to graze near to the kraal. When evenmoney selling brew to peoplethe far grass is exhausted the kraal must movefrom their villages.and army must come too. It takes negotiationbecause the army needs a borehole and a roadfor the troops. Disarmament targeted the youthand it was a very big issue for us.People say that a cow is more important thanmoney. They say this because with the cow youwill get everything. You will get milk, butter andmeat. You get dung for building and cookingfuel. You get dowry, friendships and celebrations.There is nothing you need to go and buyin the market. Even when you just look at thecow, it is like looking at everything – life.The nature of the soil makes a difference. Forexample in Iriiri the soil is fertile, so it workswell for gardens. In Moroto the soil is not suitablefor farming and gardens do not come outso well.Charcoal and firewoodMost people took up charcoal burning whenthey lost their cows. It is a new occupation.Charcoal and firewood are ways to makemoney to invest in other businesses to feed thefamily. Everyone hunts after the harvest. YoungNGO WorkSome young people are employed by NGOsfor peace. They go to visit schools to showthem that they have peace among them andthey sing peace songs. Some make an incomeattending NGO meetings. Many NGOs comewith their own people who take the salarythey get to develop their own homes in otherparts of Uganda. There is nothing left in Karamoja.If they employed Karimojong,then we would put the money intoSorghum and other cropsSorghum is the staple food of our people. Itis something common to everyone. We eat itdaily, share it, make beer and use it for culturalceremonies. It brings unity. Even when thekraals have gone far from home they take sorghumfrom home as food. During harvest andcultivation there are opportunities for labour.A husband loves his wife so muchwhen she makes beer, becauseshe welcomes friends to come andvisit and the household commandsrespect. It is also important whenthe family is performing rituals,for example when a woman ispregnant with her first born,or at the naming of a child.men make granaries and cut building poles andyoung women cut firewood.People said they now walk for one day to getcharcoal. Trees are getting scarce. In Nadungyet,people are going to the boundaries, and peopleon the other side are doing the same andthe two sides are meeting. There used to betrees between the two places. Even the governmentis fighting against charcoal. Those treesonce cut will not come again. It may continuebecause there is need for it. If only a few peoplemake it then there will be ademand, and people will doit. Other people will stopmaking charcoal if theycan return to a life ofcattle and sorghum.our area. When they leave they leavewith everything. It is as if they werenever here.Strength and ProgressWhen we look at all the ways peopleare making a living we see their strength, courageand determination. This year the rains havebeen good and people have made progress.Although many are without cows, each one isworking towards buying animals and paying foreducation. People have not left the culture oflivestock keeping. They still follow their elders.Even when you just look at acow. You see everything in it- meat, butter, milk. It is likelooking at everything - life.43
Page 3 and 4: We are a team of 13 Karimojong rese
Page 5 and 6: 1In that way even this research has
Page 7 and 8: and sold it on. But this business o
Page 9 and 10: in my parish and he promised to spo
Page 11: When I was interviewing,I askedAgan
Page 14 and 15: 14THE FINDINGS
Page 16 and 17: 16“When we had cattle, we had a l
Page 19 and 20: The murram sites are communal, but
Page 21 and 22: The men in the picture below used t
Page 23 and 24: This old man is showing the youth w
Page 25 and 26: We also talked to Arukol Margaret a
Page 27 and 28: Here are three stories from Murulin
Page 29 and 30: Aleper Martha told us about how she
Page 31 and 32: We then travelled to Lokopo - anoth
Page 33 and 34: This man had these marks made on hi
Page 35 and 36: We found most people in Lokitelaa K
Page 37 and 38: The women are building this village
Page 39 and 40: The lame man was a challenge to the
Page 41: The people mining at Lotongirdig su
Page 45 and 46: When we analysed all the storiesand
Page 47 and 48: IDS_Master LogoThis book was put to

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