TEAM WORK IS A DIFFICULT GOOD THING!

Owiny & his work colleague Lotee have a refreshing time together 

Because of dissimilarity in self egos, uncontrolled prejudices, dire pride or mental ‘breaklessness’, we often find it not an easy thing to work together. Really difficult it is most times for human beings to work as a team; be it for a private firm, government workplace... I have pleasure in sharing a thing or two on this topic this dry week of a July. 

Life is like a road, I think. A new road for a driver, rider or even a pedestrian like me. When you travel a road for the very first time, many things apply; you will not know the location of a sharp killer corner, you will not understand that harms have been planted to control over speeding drivers. On a new road, it is difficult to tell that an Irish bridge that can make a car fly down - is existing at a location. The driver will also not realise this sudden highway that can cause a shocking crash of cars...

With the above on your mind I feel you will try to be a cautious driver on this life we live. So you will take your brother like a new road whose corners, harms, bridges etc cannot be told. Why? Because, you cannot tell if your brother will remain a wheelbarrow driver forever or some fortune will came from heaven and fly him to the land of cars! You will also take your poor workmate like a new road. Reason? You cannot know how fate can struck his door and make him learn faster and surpass you or how he can plunk his ass on a better job that might make him your boss. Yes, your boss!

I have heard stories of weak minded people talking ill about their work colleagues. “I would have enjoyed my work if it were not for the dog I work with”, “the problem is this guy is a fool, even if I tell him, he doesn’t understand...” such talks against a person you work with affects the work and affects your life. How?

When you expose what you think is a weakness of a workmate to other people you make people prejudge your colleague and the work he/she does. In this way, the people will derive little or no sense in what the colleague does, which interestingly is actually what you jointly do. The whole work of your team is affected here! Secondly, you will have a heavy heart every time because you are negative about anything and everything that your teammate puts in. How can you enjoy work?

Other people are on the breadline not because they sought that condition, but may be God wants it that way. Now if Owiny who owns a bike, two pairs of shoes and two of sandals puts Apangamuniyin on pressure because of his drought life, then Owiny is stupidly over speeding on a new road.  Who knows as the English say “every dog has its day” something might come from heaven and lift this guy whose life is dependent on hides and skin to the bread house and Owiny’s day might come to pass.

The bottom-line: Good team play is a thing that makes work sugar. We have weaknesses all over as human beings, but like they say one man’s weakness can become strength if that person gets to learn how to use that asset. I personally want to testify how I love my work because of the good understanding I share with the person I work with. As we traverse fields to implement development activities, I just feel every day is a refreshing one because of the positivity we have in working together.

Now next week me, my workmates will be travelling the bad roads off Karamoja to another destination for some refreshing, networking and friendly exposure. I trust that next week my blog will grow richer with new events that will catch my eyes. Am sure we shall have some hustle on Nakichumet road and spend some empty stomachs pushing the car and, and and...

But as the picture can prove up here, am a happy working boy. The ghetto in the tour destination is going to be shared ones, and am proud to reveal that I will share with the guy I work with... great weekend friends!

LAND IN KARAMOJA WAS NOT FOR DEATH



There were not such struggles here. The people were contented with presence of animals and the guns made them proud as the guns would be to protect these precious living things. Ok, guns were not very good at least. Guns, as everyone know can make you kill somebody or make somebody finish you! Then these greedy outsiders come with selfish interests. The wizards who want to control the whole world. They come and start confusing everyone and twisting people’s minds, people’s interests, values and needs...

Wednesday morning of this week, some modest radio presenters put the topic of land in Moroto for discussion on air. People called in and said these and said that. The presenters argued that too much land is redundant /vacant and that potential investors come and go without doing anything on this land. How can you do a thing on what is not yours? It’s not your land! It’s not their land and they have no right to force their noses in!

But the specific issue that radio boy and girl seem to highlight was that of slow development or growth of Moroto Municipality. That - 100 years down the line nothing visible, nothing audible, nothing tangible and or that no aroma to   portray what to call a town, a municipality or a regional city. May be they are right because they pointed:

People possess huge chunks of land in the Municipality and because of poverty they are not supposed to develop it. They cannot build a house because money is their forever problem. They cannot even do plantation because it’s municipality and law no allow and also rain not there here Karamoja. But radio boy and girl bickered that why can’t these poor breeds of people, sale off these assets to rich men and women who come from metropolis?

Am speechless on this side of town. Me remembers old days in Kaabong of Dodoth people and the way people and animals moved freely. Free like they are in a free world. I thought that it was good; in fact I thought that it was better. I as well lived/survived in Kotido of Jie people and witnessed same flow of freedom. One day my Shepherd friend caused me to gallop milk of a sheep while we wondered freely like natural global tourists. Mom back at home was not happy with this kind of freedom I enjoyed because she did not know anything!

However, today things are quite different. Guns have been taken and people have to move on –is what we think or should think. It was ignorance and the current people all consent to this idea...ignorance to think that a gun is wealth. People now say no to the gun, what we need is to live better. But food or what to eat generally is still the biggest trouble!

Now the on air debate in Moroto was like walking in the thicket. The issue of land in Karamoja needs broader handling. If the plat form is what is probably not flat again, then another human freedom is denied here, but I leave this to media lawyers and me, a mere blogger can talk about something real and on the ground. As a radio man, I would have asked about the facts if they are available -surrounding the land grabbing questions in Rupa of Matheniko, in Moruita of the pian and delicate rumour that says some gods have taken control of mineral rich land in Tepeth land inside Moroto district.

Now to say that land is being left like that in town without giving it to better off people to develop it is to me like an insult any way. It is like selling off your life because you are poor! It’s like accepting a rich man to take away even the little that God gave you and to accept to be a slave in your own land!

Well, the people of Moroto could be poor monetary-wise, but they have the assets that can let them change! The only thing needed is probably giving them the pass word to enable them access the liquid hidden in the assets. Ok, this can be done by government, by a development NGO or by the UN depending on how serious the people who control us can be. I hear that people in UK can get big loans from government financial institutions and erect big investment structures then they pay the loan slow by slow as they continue earning.

To say least, the question of land was never an issue in the past free Karamoja. People would grow maize or sorghum anywhere and graze animals anywhere. Today warriors and their leaders and learnt children will fight over land. They will not fight each other but they will fight the outsiders, for it is the outsiders who brought tricks of thieves into their land. Thus, instead of living the ideal life God wanted Adam, Eve and family to live, the Karimojong will start living the life that Eve opted for. As a result, the issue of land will become an issue of life and death on this soil until the second coming!

MATHENIKO MP WILL SOON HAVE NO ACCESS TO HIS COUNTRY HOME

Someone ought to pass information to Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and any other authority charged with keeping an eye on the health of our roads in Moroto. The people of Loputuk parish are slowly but surely molesting the newly designated East African Market access road. The ever shoddily maintained Moroto-Kitale road is being worsened by hungry quarry boys from Loputuk. Remember this road also takes Matheniko MP John Baptist Lokii to his country home based in Loputuk.

The last time I saw the legislator raise a voice to these famished voters was late last year. He chased them away from the mining site why? These guys are digging stones from the road space and keep extending to the heart of the highway. MP Lokii then was very bitter at this ravenous group, but today the situation is getting terrible.

Even if Lokii now has a better house in Kampala and might have little time to come sort out this issue that concerns his Manyatta in Matheniko, some leaders should wake up from sleep and/to stop these men at work. I don’t know how far UNRA Moroto office is responsible of this, but I suspect the works department at the district or Municipality might have full authority. Ok, I also feel the LC V and or the mayor of the district and Municipality respectively can take action to this effect. The place is located a few meters away from the airtel mask as you head to Loputuk.

By yesterday when my team crossed this spot heading to Tapac Sub County, the boys had created a hole that runs horizontal from the quarrying point to the middle of the way. They do it by excavating stones from the space created by running rain water on the road sides. The last thing that might happen is a driver will sink a car down because he’ll not tell that the road has a hole dug down. Someone really needs to wake up the sleeping authorities to come rescue this road.

Moroto-Kitale road is one highway that the East African community member states selected for improvement so to be used in boosting trade and communication in the region. The information I gathered indicates that World Bank will provide funding to tarmac the road from Moroto to Kitale in Kenya and it as well is meant to connect the region to Southern Sudan.

Meantime, I think it should as before be maintained by people who are locally in charge. If not the district, then it should be UNRA. Why are these guys not making things happen now? I hope they are not beginning to bank so early on the pledge from World Bank and the fact that it will be East African business interest access road. In any case the maintenance of this road even in future might still be decentralised, so that when a bridge falls down, UNRA or works department should sort it out quick and not wait for the issue to be debated in the East African Parliament.

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Then over the weekend there was this death reported in the municipality. To me this and more are just like history that is trying to repeat itself. This particular murder of a young woman comes a few weeks when another small trader was finished at the cross fire between suspected raiders and the military. This market trader probably wanted to go raid and to improve on his investment. Money, greed and ignorance alas flew him to the grave.

For the woman if at all it is love that caused her tragedy like rumour says, then...money, poverty and lack of integrity played that magic. I have my sympathy for young, stupid female people in this town being peddled by drunkards, planters and wizards to slaughter chambers. Who will help this poor wasted generation? President Museveni has done his part by appointing Fr Simon Lokodo as minister for Ethics and Integrity. I call upon this Fr Lokodo to start sweeping his own house before cleaning the whole country.

Dear Fr. Lokodo, by virtue of your origin of a church man you have that appointment from his Excellency. Politics well we understand happens just to be your destiny, but your fortune has made president Museveni to trust you with office of Minister for Integrity. What plans do you have for redundant, poor Karimojong girls trading on sex for a livelihood?

After bringing several others including young boys back from the street life of Mbale and Kampala, we need better things for our women. The culture is strong but poverty and the spread of neo-colonialism are a big force fighting the Karimojong culture. Like MP ASPRO who plans to fund a women tailoring group in Moroto, it would also be sweet for other back benchers to come up with a similar community development plan that will ensure a positive spin and empower women so they are not victims of sexual terrorism.

CHILDREN UPCOUNTRY NEED BETTER FOUNDATION EDUCATION

Lorunget ECD Center in Lopei Sub County of Napak district

With reference to the opinion article “toddlers also deserve free education”, New Vision Wednesday 20th June, I wish to supplement on why the plan by the education ministry to promulgate the Early Childhood Development (ECD) policy in Uganda is a crucial idea especially for districts in the periphery. My opinion is based on the current education and child welfare situation in the Karamoja sub region.

A recent media report also confirms that the distribution of kindergartens in Uganda is dependent on the levels of income of the people. For instance as reported; central region has the largest share of the children’s learning centres, taking up to 39%. Eastern region follows with 22%, western Uganda takes 15% and 11% goes for the northern part of the country. The south western region comes fifth with a 10% share, but as usual north eastern region or Karamoja trails with a crushing 3% share.

I totally agree with this media revelation. It insinuates that the existing nursery school systems in Uganda are largely geared towards profit making, rather than fulfilling the universal education dream. Thus, 100% of all registered nurseries are mainly owned by business individuals in the ‘greener regions’. The system favours mostly children of rich people in better off places. In my view, the only way kids in disadvantaged locations like Karamoja can catch up with their friends who study in town is by having government come in to fully support the program like other education systems in the country. Here is how and why:

Having a nationwide capacity building for the human resources involved in upbringing of children in these elementary learning centres. One of the reasons ECD centres are not doing well in the village settings is the poor knowledge of the children’s care givers.

For instance Brac Uganda with funding from UNICEF set up 10 ECD centres for the Tepeth community atop mount Moroto last year, but all the care givers in these centres do not know how to read and write and or even count from one to ten in English -the official language. How then can this type of teachers prepare children to join primary one? The ministry could actually create more jobs recruiting and training p.7 graduates to take up such positions.

The facilitation of teachers of these toddlers also needs to be specified. Currently, most nursery school teachers in Karamoja are either baited with very little money, food staff from supporting NGOs or not paid at all.

The most highly paid ECD centre staffs in Karamoja are those serving in the Brac established centres. Brac pays ECD teachers a salary of Sh 50,000/= per month. A centre like Lorunget ECD in kailikong village Lopei Sub County of Napak district is set up by the community and does not have anything to give teachers. Surprisingly this centre has a huge number of children with no clear care giver in charge. School drop outs who work at their will are the ones conducting lessons in this school. These ‘teachers’ go to teach just because they want to remember what they learnt while at school, otherwise they have no single motivating factor taking them to the children learning centre.

The other aspect that needs support for children’s education centres in rural areas is fitting of playing equipments. I have seen in the ECDs of Karamoja teachers start off with kids on the black boards and books. I thought the idea behind ECD is -build the brain of a child by engaging him mostly with games and in the game some aspects of counting and picture identifications is brought up bit by bit as the child grows so that when taken to P.1 he already has where to begin from and proceed.

It would be fair for the education ministry to give support to village based kindergartens by procuring game materials for them so as to put kids here at some level closer to those who study in towns.

The hope for success of toddlers’ education among people living in disadvantaged regions like Karamoja is given by the positive attitude already built towards the value of going to school. This is manifested in the crowded classrooms in most village learning centres in Karamoja. It shows that parents are ready and willing to take children to school and kids too are ready to learn.

Karamoja though continues to suffer limited number of schools, poor facilitation of instructors and logistical challenges. The real gap that needs to be filled remains with the education Ministry. Government needs to strengthen facilitation of foundation education for children especially locked up in the up-country areas. Like UPE, USE and the free health service delivery that the country has adopted, toddlers’ learning is yet another area that needs immediate intervention.

BAD WEEDS HAVE INVADED THE KARIMOJONG POLITICAL PLANTATION

Electronic media consumers, the broadcast audience and all patrons of rumours in Karamoja are disillusioned by the frustrating ‘cowardly reactions’ of some of their leaders to the efforts of area legislators to beat development alert drums meant to let Nakasero face the semi arid region and also guard against intruders into the region’s natural assets.

The issue stems from the alleged illegal sale of a plot of land measuring more than 15,000 acres at Moruita Sub County in Nakapiripirit district to companies; Feronia Uganda Limited and Pro-Solutions Limited, at Shs140 million without any permission from the customary land rights owners. Another issue was the law makers’ concern over the sorry state of roads in the region and their threat to cut ties with the regime.

Daily Monitor newspaper reported that MPs from Karamoja said “that they have lined up evidence to pin the first family and some officials of the district land board who forged minutes of the district land board as having approved the dubious land transaction.”

This report obviously irritated the first lady who is also minister for Karamoja affairs and ludicrously, it as well created horror for some timid leaders at the district level. With temerity, these panicky district chiefs reportedly went on their knees to say sorry to the people from state house for what in their wisdom was possibly the ‘unserious complaints’ of colleagues. However, their midnight gamble has provoked bitter criticism from the Karimojong electorates on the internet, on radio wave, even those who subscribe to big mouthed colleagues at most places of gathering like Marua joints in the region.

On the internet, one potential voter said “When we expected them to go and debate Karamoja issues and to name and shame, or at least call for commissions of inquiries into the land grabbing in Karamoja, some opportunist leaders used the June 13th meeting with political leaders and technocrats to apologise to 'MAMA' and profess Karamoja's 'love' for her!!!”
This electorate added, “The Abim LCV, Moroto LCV, Hon. Terence, and an unlikely person in Hon. Loki are all quoted!!!”

Another member charged, “Battles against the seemingly invincible scavengers of Karamoja resources need to be sustained.”


Honestly, this is a very sensitive topic for a man my size to lay strong comments on. Nonetheless, I understand the position of two remorseful men quoted; the Local Council bosses of Abim and Moroto. They are men with very unique perceptions of world issues although inexplicably, politics happens to be their destiny.

Some of these guys were meant to be preacher men. To encourage positivity in the world by discouraging evil deeds through mere humble words of the lord and not by pointing an accusing finger at a thief since the Bible says all men are created in the image of God. The Bible also teaches us that all men in today’s world are sinners although the disobedient fruit was eaten by only one man who died long time ago. These men believe in repentance. Thus, they also believe that if a thief steals money from your pocket, give him as well your ATM card and allow him to equally withdraw from your bank account.

Others were supposed to be mere comedians and trick-stars. To serve the world in the entertainment industry by creating untrue statements that sounds true and presenting in front of a large innocent audience who end up spending all their monies to pay the price of lies. However, a political comedian is worse than a religious politician. A comedian is like a conman. He uses wrong ideas to steal money from the audience; all he will strive to do well is protect his job by singing praises for the sponsors of the function that gives him the platform to play his creepy game. We should try to weed these characters off our political plantation otherwise the voters shall continue paying the price. Am done for the moment.

FAIR THEE WELL MRS MOREL, GOD BRING BACK NABUMALI TO SHAPE

May your soul rest in everlasting peace dear Mrs Morel. Wanalobi died in a motor accident near Iganga, according to a report my friends sent me Monday. My heart is down because Mrs Wanalobi had a hand in building the road to this precious blog. She alongside George Watika taught me English Literature at Nabumali High school- some close to a decade ago. My class gave her the name of a woman in the novel.

Mrs Morel is the protagonist in D.H Lawrence’s novel “Sons and Lovers”, an account of a painful life of a simple woman married to a cruel miner and drunkard. Their house conflict leads to disjointment and Mrs Morel transfers her passion for husband to her two sons; William and Paul. The love for sons and love for mother makes all intimate projects of both William and Paul fail...until the death of William, death of Mrs Morel herself and that lonely world of Paul.

Madam Wanalobi’s test for Mrs Morel’s characters and love for the book itself compelled my class to let her have the woman’s name. Wanalobi was also a sports loving woman and served as house mistress for Hannington girls. I also belonged to Hannington house although I put on Banks T- Shirts and spent most of my better times in Annex Baghdad with the bad boys.

All the good life was there for us in school until the strike of 2004 that brought ruin to the institution. To recall the strike, some unserious policemen grabbed me, Jude, Obi and other innocent fellows at dawn while catching up with sleep at a kafunda in Nabumali trading centre (koona) after a painful night of fire and police tear gas at school. Students flew like guineafowls into the nearby bushes when police stepped in to avert the situation. But boy, the girls who started this strike faced the ramification beginning that very night. Police and other opportunists were reported to have raped young things in the bushes as a prerequisite for not being detained as a suspect.

Poor me with sleep on my face was also grabbed because I took refuge in a wrong place. It was Jude’s Kafunda. The boy had a suspension from school after he was found openly enjoying some new student (some one’s daughter) down the swimming pool area -behind the geography room. Jude was to go home and call his parents, but he preferred renting a room at koona so he can pay somebody later to play as a parent at the time for reporting back. Unfortunately, the strike came when girls went batty over the absence of mere piped water yet we also had bore holes and nearby wells.

Driven we were in a police vehicle to the head teacher’s home. Fortunately Mafabi did not find any fault in the boy from Abim; my other colleagues were also acquitted except Jude because of his love making scandal. H/M told police to proceed with Jude to Central Police Station (CPS) in Mbale town so he can make a statement like a strike suspect. Jude did what police wanted, but trust me -he was innocent. Then, when free things become costly is when Obi asks the police carryng Jude for a lift to town so he could go to the park and go home. Boy, police drove Obi and Jude whole-sale paka CPS and forced all to make statements of suspected students involved in the strike. The problem was that Obi did not have any thing for kitu kidogo, he had to suffer locally.

Today what I know about Nabumali is that the 2004 strike that brought down the giant administration structure demoralised teachers, parents and bright students from subscribing to any development in the school. Nevertheless, the school still boasts for its products -some very significant citizens of this country and beyond. Some of the alumnae include; the late John Garang, former vice president of Sudan and leader of Southern Sudan, Dr Beatrice Wabudeya, Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority, Justice James Ogoola, Acting Justice of the supreme court of Uganda, James Waphakabulo (RIP) former Foreign Affairs Minister of Uganda, Lt Col. David Oyite Ojok former army chief of staff in Uganda, Aggrey Awori , former Minister for ICT and member of parliament in Uganda among several others.

This Saturday as the school’s alumnae gather to celebrate 100 years of Nabumali existence, I hope they’ll raise enough funds to support the reconstruction, I hope they’ll also observe a moment of silence in respect to fallen colleagues like Mrs Morel who was both a former student and teacher. I wish well all those who will endeavour to attend this historic event and I will watch from Karamoja because our roads here are terrible!

WHY THE LORUPE RACE IS LIKE A FLOP

What I wanted to do a fortnight ago was have my say on the Tegla Lorupe Foundation race that takes place annually for/in Karamoja –Turkana. I kept on hesitating to critic the function because of ordinary fear. But today, a colleague on Karamoja Development Forum (KDF), a facebook networking group provoked me to unleash the dragon.

The race is I perceive, geared towards bringing together warriors from both the Turukana and Karamoja clusters for peace. Tegla herself is reknown for her athletic record. It is very difficult to exactly tell the way in which peace can be enhanced by letting the guys come and run a short distance within a small radius in town. I thought a cross boarder race could give a fairer accountability of this peace building claim and also demonstrate unity and the feat of peace. But, I suspect the people who matter in this arrangement believe in the long speeches that get translated to the local language listening crowd who by the time of the talking are really tired and hungry and are obviously very inattentive.

During the recent race in Moroto, am sorry to mention that the organisers were on sweat hunting for willing bodies to take part in the activity. Well, there were some chosen few known athletes and some cheap –to-maintain warrior squads from both Kenya and Uganda. They were partially facilitated mainly by way of packing them behind pickup trucks and some in the spare tyre space in the Land Cruisers, the Tegla T-shirts and then, their food (they like posho and beans...I suspect they were given) which is cheap. And what next, the question of egg-like people takes a lot of resources normally –unfortunately!

My KDF colleague thus commented, “...so called Peace race that has yielded unreasonable results so far in four races ...” I go by what he thinks although I don’t know his argument. But, basing on situations on the ground, I say peace is still indeed wanting in Karamoja and that Turukana side of Kenya. The numerous peace meetings I attended show a very bad relationship between Turukana and Tepeth people. There is a village called Naut in Katikekile parish Tapac Sub County in Moroto that can attest to this. As we communicate now, people have flown off from Naut because of constant attacks or threats of attack, animal raids and killings of humankind by suspected Kenyan warriors.

The other reason one could easily indict the Lorupe thing for merely coming to Moroto or going to Kapenguria for a bash, is the way more affluent lot are big beneficiaries of the dollars thrown in by sponsorors of the occasion. For instance during the recent race held in Moroto, I wondered how little the would have been real recipients were made to pocket. I did not properly verify the money figure, but the first in the race did not take what is more than Ush 250000/= the third took just Ush 100000/=, and really few they were.

Another bad sign was exposed when the Master of Ceremony (MC) asked participants and...’OTHERS’ to go for lunch. NB :( lunch was served at 5:00PM, so it was lunch /supper –to even reduce the cost). The MC said this:

“...all the registered participants in the race are asked to go to Moroto Municipal Primary school for their lunch, all the officiating participants to go also to Moroto Municipal Primary School... but some where different from the other participants...and the invited guests will be received at Hotel Leslona for their lunch and refreshment...” here now just think about the expenditure at Leslona and those at the primary school. Who should have been where? And who is more important or fragile in the deal for creating peace for the conflicting warriors?

Tegla Lorupe Foundation should think beyond annual lobbying for big dollars for printing cheap T-shirts, facilitating town based short distance races and throwing party for “invited guests”. Think of a more visible, tangible and result oriented project that can create lasting peace, security and improve the livelihoods of the warriors across the border forever. Otherwise, this one off race is becoming a very bad type of Christmas or Iddi!