Showing posts with label Local Tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Local Tourism. Show all posts
Saturday, August 27, 2011
ENKOLA MU BASOGA EKHOZESEBWA OKHUMALAWO OBUTAGHEMAGANA (CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES AMONG THE BASOGA)
Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
Dishma-Inc.
P.O. Box 8885,
Kampala-Uganda
Tel. +256392614655/+256752542504
dishma.imhs@gmail.com
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
Background:
An estimated 3 million Ugandans speak Lusoga. Busoga region is shaped by Lake Victoria to the west, Lake Kyoga to the north, and Mpologoma River to the East (Wikipedia, 2011). Basoga have strong historical ties with the Luo (Ayo, C. 2008). The socio-cultural structure made it easy for the Basoga to prevent and resolve conflicts.
It was a segmentary social system comprising of numerous, relatively small autonomous groups -who generally regulated their own affairs, and who could periodically come together to form larger groups and who, in some senses, may collectively appeared to be a single large community (Answers Corporation, 2011).
Jurisdiction was defined according to those levels –with each having power to convene a court session and make decisions without the interferences of the other levels (LoveToKnow Corp., 2006). Indeed Basoga are peace-loving people (Jinja Tourist Center, 2006).
Ebitti Ebyendhaulo Abasoga Byebakozhesa Okumalhawo Obutabanguko
(The Different Branches for Resolving Chaos Used by Basoga):
The main branch was that of ancestral spirits (or emisaambwa) headed by Lubaale –the creator (Uganda Visit and Travel Guide, 2011). The spirits fed Clans (ebikha) with wisdom. The relationship between the spirits and the clan was like that the main river and its main tributary. The clans were headed by Abakulhu abebikha (Clan heads).
Extended families were responsible to the clan heads in as far as preserving the unique behavior of each clan was concerned like not eating specific animals and plants and desist from in-breeding. Amakkha (homesteads) comprised of the Baaba (father), Maama (mother), Abaana (children) and abhenganda (relatives). They also subscribed to large communities with similar traditional norms, culture and origin.
Okubwoigokelha Abaana (Barking at or Rebuking Children)
Anything forbidden or undesirable if done was barked at to prevent it from happening again. Doing so was a responsibility of any member of the community -who could be older siblings, parents and other relatives.
Okubonerezha Abaana (Punishing Children)
Different from rebuking, Okubonerezha Abaana involved smacking or caning them. This, too, was a responsibility of any responsible member of the community. This commenced from as early as 3 years.
Okhuwa Ebiraghilo (Giving Instructions or Laying down Rules)
This was preserved for the parents and any senior member of the community –who could be older siblings, Aunties, Uncles, older cousins, and grandparents. What entailed ebiraghilo were the dos and don'ts (do this... don't do this). Also began from 3 years.
Okubulirirha (Lecturing)
It featured older young men and women –who had passed the stage of being punished by cane or being rebuked (16+ years). Okubulirirha carried an element of gender roles -where boys and girls were lectured about their roles and responsibility according to sex and help to equip them with tools with which manage future challenges; for example on issues regarding hard work, respect, dressing, and marriage.
Different people helped do this kind of job much as uncles and aunties were most favored. Others included mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers. They intervened in case of mishaps in desired behaviors of young adults.
Okutyaamya Mmu Lukiiko (Being Compelled to Sit Down in a Meeting)
This involved summoning wrong doer from wherever he or she was to attend a stated yet compulsory meeting. The meeting is called to discuss the unacceptable behavior of the wrongdoer and determine the way forward.
The way forward is a resolution reached by the entire community gathered -a meeting that constitutes elders, married people, and chaired by a clan leader. Actions taken include: caution, compensation, fines, and expulsion from the clan. Expulsion from the clan was the highest decision. It was so terrible that individual would not wait until such decision was reached.
Okwheta Abasweezi (Calling for the Services of a Spirit Medium)
The Chwezi influence in East and central Africa left no stone unturned in Busoga. This was a person or group of people –through whom the spirits could guide the community in decision making.
Some of the tasks were to forcefully have the wrongdoer who has just rejected the elders summon to attend the meeting to do saw by 'remote control' or by works of the spirit medium; revealing the truth in cases where wrong doers denied wrongdoing; identifying wrongdoer if he or she was unknown, and so on.
Merits:
Community Participation
Participants represented widest of the society. No costs were attached. Indeed, community participation was social capital for conflict resolution (Skidmore, P. Etal, 2008).
Consensus Building
Decisions reached were democratically voted upon by the community. There was no dictatorship or monopoly in the decision making process.
No Need for Investigation
There was no need for investigations as culprits were well-known. So in the meeting, it was a matter of the community letting the culprit know that they were aware of his misconduct, and whether he or she was aware of his or her misbehavior. That saves time.
Reintegration, Reconciliation and Community Harmony
The major aims of the Basoga justice system were to provide sufficient space and distance for reintegration of culprit into the community, reconciliation through forgiveness, and necessary compensation arrangements.
Demerits:
Summon to Attend Community Meeting had to be Adhered to
There was no way one would say no to attending the meeting once summoned. Even as far as overseas the spirits would posses him or her and bring him or her for the meeting.
No Defense Lawyer for the Culprits in Case they had Phobia to Face Public
Not every person can stand before a huge gathering to explain his or her wrong doing to the public. Some could have social phobia.
Listening Fatigue:
Lectures were often so long that listener developed listening fatigue. As a result, they soon turned out to be more of a punishment than a necessary source of knowledge.
Some Actions Used by Basoga are Today Forms Child Abuse:
Barking at children and caning today constitute physical abuse, emotional abuse and psychological abuse. Basoga are famed for that (Nalunkuuma, M. 2004).
Harmful Spirits:
They are widely believed to cause mayhem to the community by causing illnesses and death until rituals were organized to free person of the harmful spirits and eventually get well. They can be powerful weapons in a conflict (Ultimate Media, 2011).
Conclusion:
The socio-cultural design of the Basoga society was both conflicts preventing and resolving in its functioning. Little or nothing has been done about the lack of written materials on conflict resolution among the Basoga.
The responsibility now shifts from the elders whose source of information is their memory to the new generation –who have gone to school (Kakamwa, C. 2010). And some methods are in conflict with the contemporary thinking and practice, which threaten the traditional Basoga justice system. A common ground ought to be set to avoid possible conflict between traditionalism and modernism.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
REVISED EDITION: KNOWING OUR COUNTRY BETTER FOR DECISION MAKING AND POLICY
Local tourism is one important undertaking that Ugandans could take advantage of. It would not be about wasting time as some people might say, but something that comes with a lot of amusements, lessons and amazements or a kind of craziness.
However, very many Ugandans leave the country without having traveled much of it. Yet, interestingly, claim having knowledge of United Kingdom, Washington and sometimes, just Kampala, and never about northern, western or far eastern Uganda.
Kityerera is one other place in Uganda that on the face-value could strikingly want to mean “an area covered by mud, and that is all about sliding as one makes his or her way.” By that statement, it would take one a while contemplating whether to travel there. A decision to go there could perhaps come from a courageous person.
It is, actually, a place deep in Mayuge District with a population of over one hundred thousand (100,000), whose creation helped reduce the size of Iganga -once known to be most populated district in Uganda.
It houses the South East Busoga forest reserve –a battle area for encroachers and workers charged with re-planting trees. Battles can sometimes be severe -registering scores of the injured.
Also, according to one elderly resident in Bugadde, the reserve was once a habitant and feeding grounds for hippopotamuses and buffalos. After their extinction, locals resorted to destruction of natural forests.
Forest battles rage on. The question then would be: why do encroachers have to fight heartily for the forest-land? The interesting answer to this question, according to one forest official is that settlers are run-away criminals, who ran way from various regions of the country, and, as far as Kenya to escape justice.
On the other hand, the most vivid explanation for the hardliner approach by encroachers is the fact that from its rich forest soils they harvest heavily, and earn a lot of money through farming, and illegal sale of pieces of forest land to new encroachers.
As a result, many have bought land, build houses and equally (men and women) married multiple partners. For prosperous women as much as men, economically struggling potential sex partners could always go for them. Having achieved all that encroachers are capable of taking on anything to resist and stick-on and even grab more.
Interestingly, encroachers have own administrative systems led by the chief encroacher or aggressor of forest workers. He, along with his assistants constantly plan attacks and organize rebellions against any plans to replant trees or resettle them. To note is that the forest workers represent government at the reserve, and are mandated to work tirelessly to re-afforestate the area such that it regains its vitality as a forest.
The sad bit, however, is that restoration of the forest cover would alienate the local population so much that they would go hungry and gradually get impoverished. This would be so because forest land has been the main "blood vessel" necessary for their survival and well-being.
It is because of forest land that so many motorcycles zoom out and about Mayuge, presence of huge transport vehicles that transport food to Juba (Sudan) -the new UK where a Ugandan can within no time grow wealthy. And also, forestland being being a source of such transported food crops -to help feed the hungry and increase farmers' incomes handsomely.
Some of its busiest towns are Bugadde and Bwonda that command numerous commercial activities including; fish trading, food crops and food vending and textiles trading. The main food crops notable are; maize, millet, rice, jack-fruits and tomatoes.
The food crops are produced for local market and export, with much of it destined for Juba (Southern Sudan).
The prices at the local market equal Kampala’s. Come hydro-power: the towns, being surrounded by islands, with a shorter distance to Kenya (by water), are headed for rapid development in the near future.
Despite of the fact the people work very hard for a living, and with such a fast growing area, Kityerera, unfortunately, does not have hydro-electric power, has the worst net-work coverage of both MTN and Celtel or Zain, while for Mango, its (net-work coverage) is so miserable that one might throw away the card as he or she enters Kityerera.
But of late (November-December 2008), there is amazing news of the fact that MTN has led the conquest of the area. People can now receive and call from anywhere -be it the latrine, bathroom or bedroom. But even for area electrification, plans are underway, and in the near future would hear of a Dubhai of Mayuge-District.
Comparing it with some suburbs of Kampala and Mukono, it is hard to forgive whoever is concerned about electricity distribution. The trading centers in Kityerera are more developed than most suburbs in Kampala or Mukono. For instance; Bugadde or Bwonda are better than Mbalala (with electricity) development-wise, yet they do not have hydro-power.
Girl education in primary schools is very impressive. The numbers of girls in existing primary schools are close to doubling that of boys. The boys sooner than later sense the goodness of money, which in turn compels them to drop out of school in favour of farming, brick-making and boda-boda transport business.
With some money in the pocket, the next item in their plan would be to marry, have children, experience the family head-ship as fathers back home, and most likely, marry several other women or men, accordingly.
Besides, there is evidence that after primary level, they hardly look forward to furthering their studies. The area, well, has more of primary schools than secondary schools. For the existing ones (secondary schools), they are only a recent creation.
So, as if it were a tradition, primary seven (7) tended to be the highest level for girls as much as boys. Consequently, the mainly girls very soon face the challenge of cross-generational sex and prostitution for economic security.
Reliable sources in the area put the numbers of pregnant teenagers seen at pre-natal clinic -between the ages of sixteen to eighteen (16-18) years at over thirty (30), as recorded in a single month. And they in many cases become second, third, and fourth wives to older men. And between 13-18, there were 35 Sexually Transmitted Infections recorded per month by the health center. Surprisingly, the teenage rate encompassed 13 to 15 year olds. And total births by teenagers between 13-18 were 8 per month.
Even with one wife chance initially, the probability of her getting a second and third co-wife is, still, very high. In this part of the world hardly will you find young girls in the above age bracket either unmarried or without one to two children under their care. Indeed, whoever wishes to enjoy marriage life here must either come along with a wife or risk becoming a step parent, and second or third partner.
According to Mzee Abdul-khadir Bazalaaki, one of the proprietors of a private secondary school, who helped set up a prominent public secondary school (Bunya Secondary School) and extending water supply in the area, as well, community members do not value education. And that a lot needs to be done to compel stubborn parents here take their children to school. But reluctant would not discourage school proprietors like Abdul-khadir and Sadat.
Jacob's Class Playing Volley-ball:
-One of the central private schools in Kityerera (Mayuge-District) is Alliance High School, which as a model school, encourages local population to value education through their directors Sadat and Mzee Abdul-Khadir
School directors remain positive of the future. They feel that with their huge hactares of land, support from Muslim brothers in diaspora and other well-wishers, they could transform Alliance High School into a model school and college in the district and country.
From the graduated, employed and well off alumni, parents would re-think and start to value education of their children. They would, for example, begin to think that peasant agriculture is less valuable than agriculture with education.
Unlike Kampala, here, instead of street children, the towns have street goats that run and move all around day and night in groups like some sort of antelopes. They look healthy with fat bellies. It is, however, surprising that the animals have owners who easily identify them from within groupings.
Kityerera towns, like Kampala, have a mixture of tribes from various areas that come to participate in the lucrative trade and make life possible. They include; Basamia, Bateso, Bagisu, badama, a smaller number of Banyakole, and of coarse the Basoga.
And they are predominantly Moslems who have sections of Shias and Sunnis. Looking at the history of Christianity or the reformation, Shias would take the position of the Protestants, while the Sunni take that of Catholics (as told by Mzee Abdul-Khadir).
The development of the area has not left out prostitution as key to it, though silent economic activity. Prostitutes here, unlike their Kampala counter-parts respect traditions of kneeling while greeting their clients, and wearing long dresses. With such courtesy men feel encouraged and find ladies very generous.
A week of one’s visit may not be enough to help identify them, unless inquiries are made about their location. They tend to be; bar and lodge attendants or owning and working in local food joints. Their clients are mainly traders (hawkers), small and big truck drivers, and boda-boda transporters.
Prostitution, as a global trend, does not surprise anyone deep in Kityerera. But, the only puzzle, perhaps, is the ability of women to have more than four pseudo-marriages whilst basing from the home of a traveling “husband”. Actually, of the four, whoever travels misses out. The loneliness due to business trips, near and far, could be held responsible for such mess.
It is normal to find a partner (from both men and women) with a history of three to four husbands before the present relationship, while across them, are children either left to grow under the care of grand parents or brought up by one or none as biological parents.
Wherever it came from: it is widely believed and a matter of public knowledge that Basoga are extra-ordinarily sexually active. People from north, western or central will tell you the same. After debating for long against the famous assertion that Basoga are sex maniacs, the verdict showed up in this part of Busoga. Could the Moslem background have dictated so having not witnessed the same in Jinja, where they (Moslems) are not as many?
To some, the situation might be appalling, with a lot of urgency needed. But, much as aggressive sensitization of people here -on reproductive health is very necessary, and something that must be on-going over six to twelve years, condom accessibility must be guaranteed. People here say, there have no access to condoms, yet for sure they play sex. How safe are they?
There is zero-tolerance to crime in the area. Crimes committed include; adultery, chicken theft, shop breaks, idle and disorderliness, fighting, land disputes, and defilement. Local sources say, defilement is highest in Mayuge.
As part of crime prevention, local authorities recently passed stringent bye-laws that bar community members from roaming around at night beyond ten (10pm), from abusing drugs, irresponsible drinking as well as being found idle and disorderly. It became extreme when mere going out to bath or for a short-call could earn one an arrest. This, believably, must have adversely affected lodges and bars.
Solar energy, which would be a close alternative to hydro-electricity, is instead used pettily for phone charging. Generators, on one hand, are mostly used in barber shops and cinemas.
But solar panels could be acquired communally with good organization from the local leadership, where a section of houses of about twenty (20) or fifty (50) pool resources and acquire a strong panel good enough for lighting and application of other electric accessories. Strategic groupings, associations and cooperatives, too, could take on this opportunity rather than wait for years to see hydro-power.
A lot of emphasis, also, needs to be placed on secondary education, supporting new private schools with face-lifts, and helping to establish more secondary schools.
And, aggressive reproductive health programmes too need to take root in this area, as must be the flooding of condoms there, as well as having the ability to demonstrate their proper use.
Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analysis
waiswajacobo@yahoo.co.uk
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
-The author was volunteer peer educator in Mayuge District for six months courtesy of student partnership worldwide (SPW). And Alliance High School was one of the taught schools. Subjects taught were sexual reproductive health, life skills and livelihood issues. Other schools worthy recognizing -having been taught by the same author are; Conquerors College School, Bugadde Primary School and Gift Academy Primary School. The wonderful time spent with them is hard to forget. It was characterized with great lessons learnt and experiences got. It is authors note, however, that Kityerera becomes a priority area for policy makers and donor community
However, very many Ugandans leave the country without having traveled much of it. Yet, interestingly, claim having knowledge of United Kingdom, Washington and sometimes, just Kampala, and never about northern, western or far eastern Uganda.
Kityerera is one other place in Uganda that on the face-value could strikingly want to mean “an area covered by mud, and that is all about sliding as one makes his or her way.” By that statement, it would take one a while contemplating whether to travel there. A decision to go there could perhaps come from a courageous person.
It is, actually, a place deep in Mayuge District with a population of over one hundred thousand (100,000), whose creation helped reduce the size of Iganga -once known to be most populated district in Uganda.
It houses the South East Busoga forest reserve –a battle area for encroachers and workers charged with re-planting trees. Battles can sometimes be severe -registering scores of the injured.
Also, according to one elderly resident in Bugadde, the reserve was once a habitant and feeding grounds for hippopotamuses and buffalos. After their extinction, locals resorted to destruction of natural forests.
Forest battles rage on. The question then would be: why do encroachers have to fight heartily for the forest-land? The interesting answer to this question, according to one forest official is that settlers are run-away criminals, who ran way from various regions of the country, and, as far as Kenya to escape justice.
On the other hand, the most vivid explanation for the hardliner approach by encroachers is the fact that from its rich forest soils they harvest heavily, and earn a lot of money through farming, and illegal sale of pieces of forest land to new encroachers.
As a result, many have bought land, build houses and equally (men and women) married multiple partners. For prosperous women as much as men, economically struggling potential sex partners could always go for them. Having achieved all that encroachers are capable of taking on anything to resist and stick-on and even grab more.
Interestingly, encroachers have own administrative systems led by the chief encroacher or aggressor of forest workers. He, along with his assistants constantly plan attacks and organize rebellions against any plans to replant trees or resettle them. To note is that the forest workers represent government at the reserve, and are mandated to work tirelessly to re-afforestate the area such that it regains its vitality as a forest.
The sad bit, however, is that restoration of the forest cover would alienate the local population so much that they would go hungry and gradually get impoverished. This would be so because forest land has been the main "blood vessel" necessary for their survival and well-being.
It is because of forest land that so many motorcycles zoom out and about Mayuge, presence of huge transport vehicles that transport food to Juba (Sudan) -the new UK where a Ugandan can within no time grow wealthy. And also, forestland being being a source of such transported food crops -to help feed the hungry and increase farmers' incomes handsomely.
Some of its busiest towns are Bugadde and Bwonda that command numerous commercial activities including; fish trading, food crops and food vending and textiles trading. The main food crops notable are; maize, millet, rice, jack-fruits and tomatoes.
The food crops are produced for local market and export, with much of it destined for Juba (Southern Sudan).
The prices at the local market equal Kampala’s. Come hydro-power: the towns, being surrounded by islands, with a shorter distance to Kenya (by water), are headed for rapid development in the near future.
Despite of the fact the people work very hard for a living, and with such a fast growing area, Kityerera, unfortunately, does not have hydro-electric power, has the worst net-work coverage of both MTN and Celtel or Zain, while for Mango, its (net-work coverage) is so miserable that one might throw away the card as he or she enters Kityerera.
But of late (November-December 2008), there is amazing news of the fact that MTN has led the conquest of the area. People can now receive and call from anywhere -be it the latrine, bathroom or bedroom. But even for area electrification, plans are underway, and in the near future would hear of a Dubhai of Mayuge-District.
Comparing it with some suburbs of Kampala and Mukono, it is hard to forgive whoever is concerned about electricity distribution. The trading centers in Kityerera are more developed than most suburbs in Kampala or Mukono. For instance; Bugadde or Bwonda are better than Mbalala (with electricity) development-wise, yet they do not have hydro-power.
Girl education in primary schools is very impressive. The numbers of girls in existing primary schools are close to doubling that of boys. The boys sooner than later sense the goodness of money, which in turn compels them to drop out of school in favour of farming, brick-making and boda-boda transport business.
With some money in the pocket, the next item in their plan would be to marry, have children, experience the family head-ship as fathers back home, and most likely, marry several other women or men, accordingly.
Besides, there is evidence that after primary level, they hardly look forward to furthering their studies. The area, well, has more of primary schools than secondary schools. For the existing ones (secondary schools), they are only a recent creation.
So, as if it were a tradition, primary seven (7) tended to be the highest level for girls as much as boys. Consequently, the mainly girls very soon face the challenge of cross-generational sex and prostitution for economic security.
Reliable sources in the area put the numbers of pregnant teenagers seen at pre-natal clinic -between the ages of sixteen to eighteen (16-18) years at over thirty (30), as recorded in a single month. And they in many cases become second, third, and fourth wives to older men. And between 13-18, there were 35 Sexually Transmitted Infections recorded per month by the health center. Surprisingly, the teenage rate encompassed 13 to 15 year olds. And total births by teenagers between 13-18 were 8 per month.
Even with one wife chance initially, the probability of her getting a second and third co-wife is, still, very high. In this part of the world hardly will you find young girls in the above age bracket either unmarried or without one to two children under their care. Indeed, whoever wishes to enjoy marriage life here must either come along with a wife or risk becoming a step parent, and second or third partner.
According to Mzee Abdul-khadir Bazalaaki, one of the proprietors of a private secondary school, who helped set up a prominent public secondary school (Bunya Secondary School) and extending water supply in the area, as well, community members do not value education. And that a lot needs to be done to compel stubborn parents here take their children to school. But reluctant would not discourage school proprietors like Abdul-khadir and Sadat.
Jacob's Class Playing Volley-ball:
-One of the central private schools in Kityerera (Mayuge-District) is Alliance High School, which as a model school, encourages local population to value education through their directors Sadat and Mzee Abdul-Khadir
School directors remain positive of the future. They feel that with their huge hactares of land, support from Muslim brothers in diaspora and other well-wishers, they could transform Alliance High School into a model school and college in the district and country.
From the graduated, employed and well off alumni, parents would re-think and start to value education of their children. They would, for example, begin to think that peasant agriculture is less valuable than agriculture with education.
Unlike Kampala, here, instead of street children, the towns have street goats that run and move all around day and night in groups like some sort of antelopes. They look healthy with fat bellies. It is, however, surprising that the animals have owners who easily identify them from within groupings.
Kityerera towns, like Kampala, have a mixture of tribes from various areas that come to participate in the lucrative trade and make life possible. They include; Basamia, Bateso, Bagisu, badama, a smaller number of Banyakole, and of coarse the Basoga.
And they are predominantly Moslems who have sections of Shias and Sunnis. Looking at the history of Christianity or the reformation, Shias would take the position of the Protestants, while the Sunni take that of Catholics (as told by Mzee Abdul-Khadir).
The development of the area has not left out prostitution as key to it, though silent economic activity. Prostitutes here, unlike their Kampala counter-parts respect traditions of kneeling while greeting their clients, and wearing long dresses. With such courtesy men feel encouraged and find ladies very generous.
A week of one’s visit may not be enough to help identify them, unless inquiries are made about their location. They tend to be; bar and lodge attendants or owning and working in local food joints. Their clients are mainly traders (hawkers), small and big truck drivers, and boda-boda transporters.
Prostitution, as a global trend, does not surprise anyone deep in Kityerera. But, the only puzzle, perhaps, is the ability of women to have more than four pseudo-marriages whilst basing from the home of a traveling “husband”. Actually, of the four, whoever travels misses out. The loneliness due to business trips, near and far, could be held responsible for such mess.
It is normal to find a partner (from both men and women) with a history of three to four husbands before the present relationship, while across them, are children either left to grow under the care of grand parents or brought up by one or none as biological parents.
Wherever it came from: it is widely believed and a matter of public knowledge that Basoga are extra-ordinarily sexually active. People from north, western or central will tell you the same. After debating for long against the famous assertion that Basoga are sex maniacs, the verdict showed up in this part of Busoga. Could the Moslem background have dictated so having not witnessed the same in Jinja, where they (Moslems) are not as many?
To some, the situation might be appalling, with a lot of urgency needed. But, much as aggressive sensitization of people here -on reproductive health is very necessary, and something that must be on-going over six to twelve years, condom accessibility must be guaranteed. People here say, there have no access to condoms, yet for sure they play sex. How safe are they?
There is zero-tolerance to crime in the area. Crimes committed include; adultery, chicken theft, shop breaks, idle and disorderliness, fighting, land disputes, and defilement. Local sources say, defilement is highest in Mayuge.
As part of crime prevention, local authorities recently passed stringent bye-laws that bar community members from roaming around at night beyond ten (10pm), from abusing drugs, irresponsible drinking as well as being found idle and disorderly. It became extreme when mere going out to bath or for a short-call could earn one an arrest. This, believably, must have adversely affected lodges and bars.
Solar energy, which would be a close alternative to hydro-electricity, is instead used pettily for phone charging. Generators, on one hand, are mostly used in barber shops and cinemas.
But solar panels could be acquired communally with good organization from the local leadership, where a section of houses of about twenty (20) or fifty (50) pool resources and acquire a strong panel good enough for lighting and application of other electric accessories. Strategic groupings, associations and cooperatives, too, could take on this opportunity rather than wait for years to see hydro-power.
A lot of emphasis, also, needs to be placed on secondary education, supporting new private schools with face-lifts, and helping to establish more secondary schools.
And, aggressive reproductive health programmes too need to take root in this area, as must be the flooding of condoms there, as well as having the ability to demonstrate their proper use.
Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analysis
waiswajacobo@yahoo.co.uk
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com
-The author was volunteer peer educator in Mayuge District for six months courtesy of student partnership worldwide (SPW). And Alliance High School was one of the taught schools. Subjects taught were sexual reproductive health, life skills and livelihood issues. Other schools worthy recognizing -having been taught by the same author are; Conquerors College School, Bugadde Primary School and Gift Academy Primary School. The wonderful time spent with them is hard to forget. It was characterized with great lessons learnt and experiences got. It is authors note, however, that Kityerera becomes a priority area for policy makers and donor community
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