To welcome in the New Year, GRG group Can Deg Kun or God Unites Us welcomed GRG staff to their village of Acet and performed dances and songs to celebrate their increased standard of living thanks to GRG. In addition to leading Can Deg Kun, Chairwoman Magdalena Akello teaches over 20 youth, aged 4 to 15, traditional Acholi songs and dances: “Whenever I see the children are idle, I organize and beat the drum loudly for them all to hear. They come and gather, ready to learn.”

Magdalena’s work is especially important for the youth of northern Uganda who have lived most of their lives, to date, in the congested internally displaced persons camps. Learning the traditions and cultures of their heritage through song and dance is part of the healing process of returning home. GRG staff is grateful for the hard work of Magdalena Akello and Can Deg Kun.

GRG kicked off a new series of fundraisers recently by hosting a happy hour at Science Club in downtown Washington, DC. This first fundraiser was both fun and successful, raising nearly $900 for GRG. More than sixty people attended. Science Club partnered with GRG for the event, contributing generously in in-kind donations to help bolster attendee giving. GRG plans to host several similar fundraisers over the coming months to increase funding to its projects in seven internally displaced persons camps throughout northern Uganda.

Despite invading elephants, “Stigmatization is bad” GRG group forms new sub-group

As former Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) begin returning home from camps, they invariably encounter a mirage of problems. These range from the need to open up former roads and footpaths to the clearing of water points and opening up of lands for immediate cultivation. The sheer weight of the challenges involved drives some individuals to continue the ‘soft’ life in the camps. But for GRG members, this seemingly enormous task has been tremendously simplified.

The Chairman of Cimo Tok Rac (Stigmatization is bad) Group, Mr. Jolly Joe Odong of Koch Goma said: “If it were not for the membership of this organization, we would not have come back home yet. The spirit of cooperation and teamwork inculcated in us by virtue of being members of GRG has made us work together to help each other return, much to the envy of other IDPs who are not members.” With over three acres of field cleared and planted with rice, maize and cabbages, the GRG group easily moved ahead of others in resettling back home. For this reason, formation of a New Group in the Sub-county became simplified with people over-subscribing to join in Lamin Latoo area in spite of the fact that the area has been invaded by elephants which escaped from the national park reserves.

[Read the paper]

Conflict minerals used in cell phones are perpetuating the use of child soldiers today. The Grassroots Reconciliation Group, in a joint paper with the Enough Project, outlines key policy strategies for the U.S. and electronics companies to take to end the $130 million-a-year trade in conflict minerals in Congo.

“There are still over 3,500 child soldiers fighting in eastern Congo, abducted by militias that have gotten rich from a lucrative trade in conflict minerals,” said GRG Executive Director Sasha Lezhnev. “Electronics companies need to play an important role in cleaning up their supply chains and help stop the continued use of child soldiers.”

A comprehensive strategy must also include key policy steps by the U.S. and regional governments. “The U.S. must step up its commitment to ending the conflict minerals-child soldier problem by investing in security measures for the mines and assisting miners with alternative livelihoods,” said Lezhnev.

Three main armed groups in Congo earn a total of between $137 million and $226 million annually from the trade. “The DRC government should partner with Rwanda and Uganda to substantially reform the regional minerals trade and cut down on smuggling. Serious alternative options to illicit trades exist, if regional governments and the international community support them properly.”

GRG and Enough are calling on companies and individuals to sign the Conflict Minerals Pledge which includes concrete steps to make electronic devices conflict-free.

For press inquiries, contact Sasha Lezhnev at sasha@grassrootsgroup.org or +1-703-485-6949

You can read the full strategy paper here.

This month, in a record breaking accomplishment, 16 new farming projects have been launched in 7 various locations across two districts, Gulu and Amuru, in northern Uganda. As the rain closes in on the region, this is the optimal period for planting. GRG project groups have decided to plant a wide variety of crops and vegetables including groundnuts, rice, onions, cabbages, egg plant and many more. “As Acholis, we are happiest when farming….this [project] gives us an opportunity to provide for our family in a dignified way” said the Secretary of Alokolum group. “Group farming allows us to learn from others and also eases the workload for just one family”, said Janet, a participant in Acet. The planting season for most of these crops is approximately three to four months. During this time all group members will work together in looking after their produce.

In 2008, an inspiring and committed GRG group succeeded in making 750,000 UGX ($500) in their brick making project. As a result, the revenue earned enabled 7 members of the group to establish their own small market businesses (awaro). Six members are now selling various vegetables and crops in the local market while another member buys chickens at a low price and sells them to hotels in Gulu town for a substantial profit. Francis, the Chairman of the group remarked on the development as ‘a huge success’ for the group and hopes continued triumphs like this will ‘contribute to the peaceful reconciliation and development of the whole community’.

GRG Koch Goma project Chairman Jolly Joe has shown great community leadership in his gesture to donate 10 acres of his personal land and to expand the GRG group to include 12 new ex-combatants. When asked how the group decided to expand, he explained that there was "a high demand coming from formerly abducted persons who had heard the good work we were doing in GRG". "When you are alone you are faced with difficulties, in a group you cooperate… it is easier to work, difficulties are halved and the rules and by-laws give formerly abducted persons guidance and structure. We could not leave them out, refusing that support."

In addition, GRG members in Koch Goma are about to embark on an exciting new vegetable growing project. Chairman Joe's new land will be used for the project. Using their own initiative and capital, the group has already began planting vegetables to help the group with food security over the coming months.

Together with seasoned trainer Janet Anyeko of CARE, program staff James Latigo and Niamh Browne trained over 300 GRG group members in financial management, reconciliation practices, and agricultural techniques. The training was conducted in the actual communities, made up of 8 sessions total. GRG members were very excited about the training. "We are so thankful for the training. We helped give us good skills in group management, and we hope you come back for more training programs".