CHALLENGES AND KEY AREAS OF INTERVENTION
Uganda’s history has been ravaged by civil wars and ethnic tensions. Beginning in 1985, the Northern region of Uganda felt the effects of these tensions when war broke out between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. Although the LRA is no longer there, the effects of the war still remain evident in the most vulnerable group of victims within the population of Northern Uganda especially on children, youth, women and elderly.
Implications on the Diocese of West Lango
Diocese of West Lango intends to bridge this gap by providing quality service as a faith based organization and a partner in development with the Government.
Key areas of interventions
1. Planting Trees on Church Land and Church of Uganda Schools and Institutions in the Diocese
The issue of environment needs to be taken seriously by any institution in this World. The aspect of environmental impact assessment cannot be ignored in implementing any development activity by any institution. In Uganda, the National Environment Authority is established as a body to handle environmental issues. There have also been environmental changes in Uganda that has ended up affecting the Diocese in one way or another. Crops are dried ups or eroded by rain in many areas, there is unpredictable rain fall every year giving a huge set back to farmers or too much rain in different parts of the Diocese.
Forest areas continue to decline within the Diocese of West Lango, protected areas are not concentrated in areas of key biodiversity and species remain threatened with extinction due to increased effects of human activities. The challenge of global climate change which is causing inconsistencies in the weather patterns made us to call for farmers in the Diocese to adapt CA practice as well as farming in God’s way. Conservation Agriculture is a system of farming emphasizes keeping of the natural state of environment and promoting high crop production. It entails the three principals of minimum tillage, soil cover/cover crop or mulches and crop association. It also takes into account basic agronomic practices with special focus on weed management, seed selection, land preparation, early planting and postharvest management. The Diocese of West Lango is encouraging people to plant trees.
The Diocese West lango intends to Plant more trees on Church Land and in Church of Uganda Schools and Institutions in the Diocese which has vast of land.
2. Building the Capacity of the Diocesan staff on ICT
The Diocese of West Lango intends to build the capacity of all the staff members at the Diocese in ICT. The Diocese also plans to start computer center within the Diocesan Office and use it to train staff so as to expand the staff skills in some areas. Some staff members need to be trained in computer skills.
3. The Diocese of West Lango has a plan to have its own Radio station and in future a Diocesan TV station.
The Young Adults (10-24 Years) formed the highest population number in the Diocese compared to other age group. The Diocese has to walk in line with the growing world especially the youth which is the majority, and can be easily taken away in the world of media and technology.
We all know that we have entered into the world of technology and how fast technology has changed the face of communication and how this impact the way we market our gospel massages or services. With the boom of Social Media Platform, apps development, mobile phones are used for business deals, a commodity and a way of conducting business nowadays. Technology advancement carries with it significant merits that should be fully embraced by the Diocese of West Lango in the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the establishment of a Diocesan Radio Station is of key priority for Gospel Ministry and other programs that addresses social and economic issues affecting the communities.
4. Transforming Livelihoods and Boosting Household income to eradicate poverty
Poverty levels remain significantly high in Northern Uganda especially in Diocese of West Lango despite the numerous targeted interventions to reduce poverty in this region over the past decade. Even, when poverty is reported to have fallen elsewhere in the country between 1997 and 2000, the levels have remained high in Northern Uganda rising from 60 percent to 66 percent.
Overwhelming evidence suggests that insecurity in the region over the last 15 years is the most important explanatory factor for the high poverty incidence as it has resulted into death, human displacement and poor service delivery.
Major economic activities surrounding the Diocese is agriculture, dominated by peasant farmers who are engage in small scale subsistence farming, livestock keeping, retail shopping, transport business, tailoring and market activities as the major source of the community income.
Implications on the Diocese.
The Diocese of West Lango has established a Diocesan farm in Kungu (Jubilee Farm) on 100acres piece of land for rearing improved Cattle breed for multiplication and a 5acres Demonstration farm for Coffee and Bananas. The farm will be use as demo and a training centre for woman, youth and other Community members.
5. Do awareness creation and Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
According to Uganda National Physical Development Plan 2018-2040, the attainment of gender equality and women empowerment is a prerequisite for accelerated socio-economic transformation. More than half of Uganda’s population is women and yet they continue to be left behind in the development process, thus slowing down the country’s economic development.
Although Uganda has made significant progress in this area, including the formulation of gender responsive policies and strategies, institutionalization of gender planning in all sectors, there is increased availability of gender disaggregated data and information from research. Women continue to face constraints related to access to, control over and ownership of businesses and productive resources such as land and credit. Overall, there is limited employment of women in skill-based industries and this reduces further women’s income potential. Women are also marginalized in skills development, access to financial resources, employment in non-agricultural employment and inheritance aggregate.
The commitments to advancing gender equality has brought about improvements in some areas of our operations, but the promise of a world in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment is yet very far to achieve within the Diocese. There is need to do more awareness creation on the topic as a result we have prioritized it.
6. Capacity development Programmes to equip our clergy for sustainable economic security.
7. Initiation of a multi-Purpose cooperative society to spur the development of various sectors within the Diocese and promote the culture of savings among Christians and economic development among the Christians in the Diocese.
8. Support the church ministers to have sustainable income through seminars, staff retreats, study tours, and fellowships.
9. Supporting vulnerable Children and school dropout Children with Vocational skill Training for self sustenance.