Tribal Inter-marriages enhances peaceful co-existance.

 In front is Jeff of KALI taking notes on different cases of conflicts in Kicheche community-Kamwenge district.

The meeting started with prayers,introductions,welcoming remarks from the groups leaders,communication from KALI team then finally discussion on the group experience  on conflicts in their homes and the community at large. The meeting was held at Kicheche health center III and was attended by 31 members.

This group has lasted for 9 years, some members living with virus for over 15 years on ARVs. They keep; goats, Bee hives (apiary), coffee farming and savings on small scale. 

On issues of conflicts in the community;

The group members ascertained that Kicheche community and her neighboring sub counties are occupied by many tribes but harmoniously leaving together. There have not been conflicts related to tribal clashes.  The group outlined;

1.   Formal education as a means that helps people to understand the need for living together.

2.   Inter-marriages among the different tribal dynamics has helped in peaceful co-existence in the communities.

3.   The role of church & other religions in promoting peace in the community has helped in stopping the would be conflicts.(Catholic,Anglican,Islam and other religions)

4.   Exposure by most community movers in Kicheche has helped in support strategies of harmonious living. Most people study from outside the district while others have been working in different areas. This has led to high level of exposure on the need for harmonious living.

5.   Increased level of Village community groups especially savings has brought together different tribes as members serving on committees. This has also reduced cases of conflicts in the community.

However, At household level, conflicts are still manifested in various ways

1.   Land conflicts especially on boundaries has led to deaths in Kicheche community

2.   Wrangles within clans resulting from inheritance of land and other family properties. This is one of the key challenges in this community.

Case story; Kahwa Specioza of Nyakabingo village of Kantozi parish in Kicheche Sub County has been constantly harassed by relatives. They do not want her in a house left to her by her late father.

3.   Discrimination of people leaving with HIV/AIDS by other community members.

In this case I; Ahimbisimbwe Jenovia bought her own land,build a house on but neighbours have not given her peace. Jovena lives in Rubona Village of Buhanda sub county.

Case story II; the coffee plants of Restatuta Kasende was cut down by clan members. She was also told by close relative while picking coffee plants from sub county, where are you taking that coffee also?? This is a discrimination statement. Kasende is a member of  PHA group from Nyakatoma village in Buhanda s/c

4.   Increased uptake of alcohol and other associated drugs has left many addicted and finally caused un rest of theft and other associated hooliganism.

Compiled by;

GEOFFREY  BWAMBALE 
Programmes Coordinator - KALI.

WE SHALL NOT ACCEPT PUBLIC PUNISHMENT! By Scovia

Children of Munkunyu Sub County in Kanyampara Parish have argued parents to respect their rights. This was during the Neighborhood Assembly when parents accused their children of disrespecting them. Most of the children participants said that; “…it is unfortunate our parents treat us as trash. They punish us publically by beating us up even in the market place…” This embarrasses the children among their peers. “…our friends humiliate us even at school because of this act and you end up dropping out. We have feelings and therefore can end up fighting back at them in different ways including physical fighting”.  

Any human has a right to privacy and therefore even when punishing the children, it should be done confidentially. The act of humiliating children has contributed highly to hooliganism and dropping out of schools. There are many ways of disciplining children at different levels.

It is embarrassing to beat 14 years old and above child in front of their friends. Let us protect their dignity as we guide them towards achieving their goals.

Experience sharing is a good platform of learning- Scovia Masika

KALI participated in the results/experience learning event that took place at Hotel Brovad in Masaka District. This was on 29^th and 30^th of September 2015. For the last 2 years June 2013-June 2015, KALI has been implementing a project on “Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Kasese District” This mainly focused on the areas of Education and Health, looking at effective service delivery right from the District to the lowest beneficiary and also promoting and protecting of the rights of the grass root people from being abused specifically the women and youth.

The objective of this meeting was to share experiences, lessons and good practices that were gained from this project with other stakeholders, to provide a platform for innovations and to provide feedback to the entire IDF and DGF team as the primary funders of these projects.

The main participants were the IDF as the direct funders, the DGF, LCV Masaka district, WBS TV, HA consultants as the external evaluators of these projects, and the different implementing partners who work directly with the Independent Development Fund.

During the sharing, Mr. Ndifuna Mohammed (Chair Person Board-IDF) highlighted that learning is a process that requires self-awareness, collaborating and Networking.

The main lessons learnt which will help in the implementation of the new consolidating project are highlighted as follows;

·        Working closely school management committees yields more results because they foster implementation of agreed actions

·        Integrating life skills to the child rights club members helps in sustaining the club activities and also children learn such skills for future use. Like making pads, liquid soap and promoting hand work

·        Advocacy for bye-laws at school and community levels reduces child abuses.

·        Children involving in child labor like fishing, charcoal burning and quarrying be arrested and the people they work for to reduce such instances

·        Neigbourhood /Bataka courts can be intergrated in the project so that they can resolve some child related issues

·        Integrating the Village savings and loans Associations (VSLA) to help parents who cannot support children’s scholastic materials and fees

·        Engaging the Health center IIIs and hospital administrations so that the medical fee for defilement cases is scrapped off.

·        Engaging parent on school feeding programme to increase the retention rate and reduce escapism at school level.

·        Documentation is key in every project implementation.

Add caption

Results can be good or bad. They both provide a platform for learning new lessons. Many Organizations are tempted to reporting only good lessons, forgetting that bad ones give room to negotiate for new funding...

M&E DGF

Add captionMs. Sarah Kintu-IDF giving her remarks

How has the many tribes and refugee influx in Kamwenge lived Harmoniously

Compiled by;

Geoffrey Bwambale
Programme coordinator-KALI                 


                            Participants at the start of a district convention on conflict in Kamwenge

 In the photo above, with walking stick is representative of PWDs and in Black courts left is District Speaker
 while right is the Principel Assistant Secretary on behalf of CAO.

The convention of Stakeholders on conflict situations in Kamwenge District was held on 7th October well attended by key religious leaders,politicians,civil servants,representatives of youth leaders, secretary for women affairs and PWDs at district level. the district speaker Mr.Gerald Twebaze in his opening remarks said, Kamwenge has many tribes among them-Bafumbira,Batagwenda,Banyarwanda,Batooro,Bachiga among others and had  by and large been peaceful apart from the late 1990s ADF war that invaded Kamwenge after Kasese district. He further said amidist  the many tribes, Kamwenge has had high refugee influx from DR Congo but still managed to leave harmoniously.

According to the district stakeholders, Kamwenge has used a strategy of mapping out key rout causes of conflict and engaged negotiation and mediation approach to solve the would be conflict. the team asserted that tribal intermarriages,cooperatives and community groups/VSLA commonly known VISRA in the local language, all these do not segregate membership along tribes. Among the youth, the youth leaders said, football clubs between community youth and refugees youth helped the two age groups to harmoniously leave together. Formation of Savings groups based on clans in the rural areas of Kamwenge has also been respected by members. The many refugees that have been coming in and out of Kamwenge have always been sensitized on the laws of Uganda and those who acted contrary were put in jail hence. this helped communities appreciate application of the law to errant refugees hence averting the would be conflict.
Uniform provision of services to the refugee camp and the communities around. eg. the V/person Ngoma S/c shared the when a borehole is to be drilled in the camp, an other would be drilled outside the camp so that the community around is not disappointed. hence managing the would be conflict in such an area.

However, during the discussions,  participants also highlighted that although the many tribes are harmoniously staying together, there are highly reported cases of conflicts at domestic level especially caused by land sharing among children and or widows. Death in regard to this has been registered in almost every sub county. the case of neglected tropical disease known as elephantiasis in the sub counties of  Busiliva and Ganyenda also came up. This has become a big issue because the community feels neglected and as a result of this,all sub county executive including the C/Man LC.III Busiliva failed in the primary elections. Government has tried to research on this case but no direct intervention has been sought.
a Participant in stakeholders meeting sharing his view on how the Prevailing peace can be destroyed due to un prevented conflict.
 On sustaining the prevailing peace,
1. The district convention suggested that emphasis should be made in promoting Education as well as engaging youth in and out of schools on peaceful co-existence in communities. Senior CDO kamwenge said; " if a child is educated, its hard to fight for land or kill his parent asking for their shares even when it has been spent on him or her while at school"
2. The district meeting agreed that, there is need for external exchange visits as it helps leaders learn from different societies (either way) how conflicts has been managed among the many tribes.
3. The team also acknowledged the power of Civil society in continued community sensitization against tribal issues that graduate into conflict and mediating between conflicting parties.
4. The convention also recommended the continuation of religious leaders in preaching for peaceful conflict resolutions and management in their weekly congregations.

 On the conflicts at domestic level, participants recommended for intensive mass education to revert the
increasing cases of  deaths due to land conflicts and inheritance challenges across the district of Kamwenge.