Tuesday, May 26, 2009

karamajong children receive schooling - moroto, uganda

a departure here on philsgood photo a day. below is a series of images from my recent trip to the karamoja region of uganda. the karamajong are nomadic pastoralists, meaning they keep cattle and are constantly on the move looking for food and water for their livestock. raiding cattle has always been a way of life for the karamajong, a practice that turned increasingly deadly with the introduction of firearms. a guns for development program has netted some 30,000 weapons, certainly helping peace in the region.


cattle are now kept in protected kraals, large pens fenced with thorns situated next to ugandan army detaches. the army protects the cattle from raiders overnight and at 9am each morning they allow the herders, mostly children, in to milk their livestock and move out to graze.


a peacebuilding program called ABEK (alternative basic education for karamoja) provides education for the children at the kraals. children begin arriving well before sun-up, receive an hour of instruction and then are allowed into the krall to take care of their cows. the soldiers are trained in peacebuilding to promote positive relationships between the army and the children.


karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
cattle in the kraal
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
children arriving for ABEK
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
a soldier hands out chalk to the children for lessons
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala ugandakaramoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
a UPDF soldier holding a puppy speaks with children
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
children sing and dance following their classes
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
a UPDF soldier queues up the students following their lessons
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
freedom! the children are finally let go to milk and tend to their cattle
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
a karamajong boy milks his cow into a plastic pitcher
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
milking straight into the hand...
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
...and tasting the results!
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
karamoja children phil bowen photography kampala uganda
moving off to find food and water for the day