The town of Bukwo is approximately 183 km by road, northeast of Mbale, the nearest large city. The district was created on 1 July 2005 out of Kongasis County. Before then, Bukwo District was part of Kapchorwa District. Many of the district’s roads are inaccessible or impassable and there is a widespread lack of electricity and telecommunication services throughout the district. However most of the people from the northern part of the district have been internally displaced after the declaration of Mt Elgon as a National park.
Since then, they haven’t been resettled back in their original land. Some of these people opted to purchase land from areas that appeared secure while others who could not afford to purchase new land but continue to exist as squatters on well-wishers’ land.
The Teriet Ndorobos were the high altitude dwellers of Mt. Elgon forest before 1932 when the forest was declared a forest reserve and National park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. These people used to rear cattle and sheep, practiced poultry, beekeeping, did some basketry and agriculture.
According to (Chemonges David) the chairman of the IDP camp explains that; “On February 24th 1999, we were attacked by combined forces of the Uganda People’s Defense Force, Uganda Wildlife Authority and National Park Rangers. We were attacked without notification by heavily armed people who were putting on army uniforms, they attacked our homes, destroyed crops, gardens, placed our houses on fire and killed some of our relatives”. This was unlawful because the people they were attacking were innocent, unarmed and only peasants who had taken time asking the government to find them a new home. The method and manner in which the eviction was made was too barbaric, brattle, harsh and completely against human rights. The impacts of the eviction left many people without homes and over 300 families in the middle of the wildness and suffering.
Kids for Africa is reaching out to respond to the education needs of the children living in this camp. A total of 80 children in the age of 4 to 16 years have been identified living in this camp and all scholarship materials to enable them achieve education though it’s free of charge. Materials like shoes, books, pens, clothes and even food for lunch during school times. Therefore we feel that athletics as a sport would help these children with opportunities towards education and empowerment. This is because these people are famous for this sport and it’s the only way to restore Hope within this suffering community.
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