Apac district, the home of big hearts

One of the main roads to Apac Town

About 300 kilometers from the Ugandan capital Kampala is Apac district. Situated 65 kilometers from Lira town, Apac in northern Uganda is relatively remote compared to its neighbor Lira district. The roads are so bad that without a four-wheel drive car, you will need many hours to access Apac. It gets worse whenever it rains; the roads flood and the potholes become deeper. It’s therefore not surprising that bicycles are the commonest means of transport here.

Apac has huge expanses of land, with homesteads far apart. Each homestead has at-least eight people. The people are mainly farmers growing maize, cassava, beans and millet. The people are predominantly Langi and speak Luo, their native language. On average, at least 5 out every 10 people in these remote areas can speak relatively good English.

The homesteads are typically traditional African, with a circular setting dominated with mud and pole grass thatched round huts. There are not many health centers or schools here. The people are hard working during both the rainy and dry seasons when it’s common to find cassava, maize or beans drying out in the sun in home compounds. They largely grow for consumption and a little to sell.

The people are friendly and sociable. Visitors are given a special touch and you feel at home. There are no formal banking services to talk of. There is also no public transport worth the name. 

But the people have a positive attitude to development and poverty alleviation. The Bernard Van Lee Foundation through Private Sector Foundation Uganda is seeking to tap into this positive attitude to transform lives. The intervention focuses on improving the lives of infants and children up to eight years old. The project that kicked off in January 2012 covers the three districts of Apac, which was the pilot, Nakapiripirit and Kumi. The pilot project registered impact in Nambieso and Chegere sub-counties.

Child-care cooperative groups were formed where infants and children up to 8 years are kept in one place during the day to allow their mother’s work in the gardens uninterrupted. The people say this has ensure that the children grow up with good values and are safe from abusers or abductors. Previously, the mothers had little time to do garden work since the children interrupted them. Wherever, there was a breach, the men would often fight their wives for child neglect. With the Child-care cooperatives, the women’s productivity increased since they had more time to work.

The parents form groups of 30 members and pool resources such as cash and food to give the children’s caretaker. The children are served porridge for breakfast and lunch and this has improved child health and nutrition.

The Private Sector Foundation funded by the Bernard Van Lee foundation has trained the people to save the little they earn. Village loans and savings associations were established where 30 members come together and buy a box. They save between 1,000 to 2,000 shillings per week for a year and give money to members on a rotational basis. A member can borrow money from the association at 10% interest, way below what most commercial banks offer. After 12 months when the circle is complete, members share the money and then a new circle begins. Every time a member deposits money, the savings book is stamped in their name. So the more stamps one has, the more money they can get at the end of the year.

Responsible fatherhood clubs were also set up to resolve domestic violence cases among families. The clubs arbitrate among warring couples to restore peace and harmony.

The project has also given ox-ploughs to parishes to help them open up land for farming. This has improved the quality and quantity of farm yields. Bore holes have also been sunk and the people now have clean water. The new water committees will ensure that the bore-holes are well maintained.

The private sector Foundation is asking government to fix the bad roads in the area. The PSFU executive director says local governments should be empowered to work on their roads.