Ngeleca Maddalina - "I don't remember the last time there was meat to eat"

The Ik are one of several ethnic communities in Uganda's northeastern region of Karamoja, near the border with Kenya.

Culturally and linguistically distinct from the rest of Uganda, Karamoja has often been marginalised and lacks the kind of services and infrastructure found in the rest of the country. While most ethnic groups in Uganda are Bantu, the Karamojong are Nilotic - they are taller than most Bantu people, speak a dissimilar language, and still dress in traditional clothes.

The arid and drought-prone landscape of Karamoja is not ideal for farming, and people living there are mainly cattle herders with a modern twist: abundant and cheap AK-47s for defending their cattle and attacking their neighbours.

The Ugandan army started a disarmament campaign in 2001 but critics say the army has collected only a small fraction of the arms in the region and just increased raiding and inter-tribal violence.

Because of their small numbers - estimated to be 5,000 - the Ik are marginalised even within Karamoja. As the community has shrunk, most of its cattle have been stolen by the neighbouring Kenyan Turkana community, who live directly across a mountain range that serves as a border. The Ik have abandoned traditional cattle-keeping ways and turned to agriculture.

However, their lack of agricultural experience, as well as last year's floods, followed by this year's drought, means that most people, like Ngeleca Maddalina, don't have enough food to feed their families. The increasing price of food worldwide also means that, even in this remote region, food purchased from neighbouring tribes has also gone up in price.

Maddalina spoke to IRIN on 25 May:

"I do not know my age, but I am old enough to have six children. The eldest is in Primary Two in Kaabong [a neighbouring town], but for the rest, there are no school fees. I did not go to school. The youngest is here with me [tied to back].

"I'm feeding the children with some food but it is not enough. The problems started last year with floods and now there is drought. I collect some [uncultivated] greens that grow after the rains, but this is not enough. If I cannot collect many, I buy some from my neighbours. One bunch is Ush 100 [US $0.06] but this amount is too much for me and even one bunch is not enough for my family.

There is a small plot of land that belongs to my husband that I dig. Also, the village has land, which I am digging. During the last season, I had some beans and I planted them but they are already finished. There are not enough rains to plant. There are no seeds to plant.

I don't remember the last time there was meat to eat, but maybe last year there was some chicken. When I am in Kaabong, if there is goat or beef and I have funds, we will have some meat, but I have taken long [without meat]. My family has taken long without even having beans.

One of my children was sick last week from lack of food and I went to Kalapata to get medicine. Some doctors visit us here, but it is not so often. We would like a health unit and schools and clean water and seeds and security, but these are many things to want and they will take long coming. For now, there is hunger."

gg/js/jm