Dr. Ayub Mukisa: Donors interested in Karamoja: Support Karamoja NGOs by funding them directly

One cannot disassociate the Karamoja sub region from NGOs and donors. To demonstrate the usefulness of NGOs in Karamoja, let’s begin with Caravan (2019), who noted that during the great famine in Karamoja in the late 1970s, twenty-one per cent of the population died in the twelve months leading up to December 1980 due to starvation. Caravan further emphasizes that it was Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that saved the people of Karamoja.

These NGOs acted as a state in Karamoja for nearly two decades, promoting sedentary farming, formal education, health care, and aid relief. What I want to convey to donors funding Karamoja and those interested in the region is our deep appreciation for their interest in Karamoja. First and foremost, we appreciate the funding you are sending to Karamoja and thank you so much indeed. However, a challenge in Karamoja is that some NGOs feel marginalized. For instance, a friend of mine who heads an NGO in Karamoja once shared his concerns with me.