Building Amuru

Amuru is one of the newest districts in northern Uganda out of the 111 that exist. Formerly part of Gulu district the largest town in Acholi sub-region, Amuru is one of the formerly Internally Displaced Camps (IDP’s) that sheltered persons afflicted by the Lord’s Resistance Army war that lasted for 20 years.

On a highway to the district central business district

The war which affected the entire Acholi region, hindered the socio-economic well being of the people there. Whereas it may be growing gradually, Amuru is facing a number of challenges. High rates of illiteracy, land grabbing, high ends of poverty, inadequate access to social services like health facilities, poor or no Infrastructure is just another– where people still stay in grass thatched houses, roads are bush logged.

Some of the homesteads at bay

An information center once existed, where information was accessed easily. After the war, it’s now non- existent

Land grabbing is one other where big chunks of land of the Acholi indigenous people is being owned through dubious means under the pretext of investment. Last month, a group of women undressed for Madhvani , a Ugandan business man of Indian origin in protest for grabbing their land to plant sugar cane growing. Oil mining is one activity causing controversy in this new district as well. There are mixed reactions between the investors and the owners of the land The indigenous people say they have not been properly consulted about the activity and are not sure of the dividends yet the activity is ongoing in their land.

Ever since the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE), this region has probably not gained at all. The quality of education is still wanting.  Many children cannot express themselves freely, not even pronounce their names in english

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Giraffe

Reblogged from :

This is one of the most amazing animals i have seen before, because of its amazing heights

Photo Of the Day: IMAGINARY PUNCHES

Reblogged from Echwalu Photography:

IMAGINARY PUNCHES: Children pose for pictures in a former IDP camp located in the suburbs of Gulu town on April 14, 2012. The launch of Kony 2012 (Part I and II) by Invisible Children has thrown back world attention on northern Uganda for both the good and the right reasons. Locally, the video has been criticized largely for misrepresenting the issues happening in northern Uganda.

Conflicts and misunderstanding within a society breed more and more fights. But for sure, this picture reveals, contrasts the reflections, relationship between the past and future, the epitome of FULL RECOVERY

The Hibi in Pair

For some time now, i have been looking critically at the way trees behave during  weathering and i find it amazing. I realize that trees have time for transpiration have a period they produce flowers, leaves  and so on but it all depends on the season.

But did you ever know that leaves and flowers drop off to the ground in pairs? It’s unbelievable but true. I found these flowers all abandoned and i thought about sharing them.  They are images of a pink hibiscus. Check them

City Taxi Dives in Subway

I had decided not to share these pictures, cause this might be terrifying. But If you are phobic to images of accidents and other disturbing pictures, please shy away from this.

Just a couple of weeks ago, while in the city,  i saw a Kampala commuter taxi plunge into the subway which is adjacent to the Parliament and Serena Hotel. The Namugongo bound taxi failed in its breaks and hit the circular fencing of the subway which houses a restaurant and a church down under. All 16 people on board inclusive of its driver and his money collector got serious injuries. It was such a loud bang, i was just 100 meters away from the scene and the unexpected happened at this notorious spot.

What amazed me most is is that it took an effort of about 45 minutes to rescue the victims to hospital.  There was no ambulance despite the fact that the police acquired new blue ambulances recently. All the victims had to be transported on police pickup trucks as it has become the Ugandan norm.These very trucks cases ferry corpses, sick people, criminals of all  sorts and many more.

Passersby rescue the victims

The driver of the taxi, sits atop of a roof in amazement after jumping out of the taxi

Dancing in Uganda

Music is a source and is food for life, so the saying goes by some. But talking about impossibilities, dancing, without music is. It can be a creative dance, yes, but with a tune however provocative, which then becomes music at the end of the day.

There are a number of activities that are taking Uganda’s capital Kampala almost by storm. I mean the would be small events. For nine years, the Dance Week festival at the national theater has been in the offing; Break dance, and other contemporary frolics, and different styles from Uganda and neighboring Rwanda. A three day event this year kept Ugandans and their tourist friends aroused like crazy. Kind of interesting by some creativity that some tourist friends ended up joining the Ugandan dance forces as well. I was available and captured some of the moments

A Rwandese group performs

A young lad shows off his break dancing skills

Dancing with a gourd

Uganda Contemporary and Dance Ballet performing 'out of control"

Tabu Flo Dance company, a contemporary dance group reminiscing Uganda's past and present in "Egwanga Uganda"

Bwola in Pabbo

Pabbo, is a town in Northern Uganda located approximately 40 kilometers by road, north of Gulu; the biggest town in northern sub-region, also found in the Acholi region. It is one if the municipalities in Amuru district bordering Gulu and Southern Sudan.

During the Lord’s Resistance Army war (1986 – 2006), Pabbo housed the biggest population of the war affected people with more than 60,000. Since the end of the war in 2006, some of the Internally Displaced People have returned to their villages.

Head-geared youngsters waiting to perform

A child watches youths performing the bwola dance

For now, no longer an Internally Displaced camp, Pabbo performs the Bwola dance, a dance performed for royals and at courtship events. It is the dance that has not been forgotten, because it is part of the Acholi culture. For Pabbo, the dance is eminent to the children of the entire Acholi society. To me, this dance after 20 years of war, is to wash away the misery

Escaping to Tanzania

Reblogged from Nina Lex:

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To check out more pictures from my week in Tanzania click here

Day 1 Blantyre, Dar es Salaam

Needing to escape Blantyre dull-drums I decide last minute to join Elena on her trip to Tanzania. I book my plane ticket with Air Malawi, which until the previous week had stop flying because of the fuel crisis. The next day I arrive at a very quiet Chileka Airport. 

Read more… 2,245 more words

This is compelling, especially the photography. I like those pictures, in the photography portfolio

Photo Of the Day:Casual and Smart

Reblogged from Echwalu Photography:

The Sun Flower

Sunflower is one of Uganda’s grown crops. It’s mostly grown in the northern districts of Uganda like Apac, Kitgum, Gulu, Lira an others. Cooking oil is one of the products got from this sunflower.

The nature of this plant amazed me. Before i took the closeups, i was weary of the bee stings.