One and half million people were moved into what have come to be known as “mother camps” between 1997 and 2003 for their protection and to undermine support for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) that has been waging war against the Ugandan government for the last 20 years.
As security has improved over the last 8 months, the government is encouraging people to participate in the “decongestion” campaign and move to satellite camps closer to their original homes.
In spite of continuing feelings of insecurity, many people are very eager to move to the satellite camps.
The mother camps were very cramped, and provided people with few opportunities to sustain themselves, since it was too dangerous for them to travel too far outside the camps to cultivate or conduct business activities.
Thus, the international community along with the government had to provide food, and basic services such as water, sanitation facilitations and education, schooling and health services.
Still, the proximity of the huts, the lack of privacy and the idleness led to many problems, such as the spread of disease, increase in alcoholism, difficulty in controlling children’s behavior, and an increase in divorce rates, among others.
In every satellite camp we went to there were new huts being constructed all over. There was a palpable feeling of joy for those re-starting their lives close to home. And yet their optimism is cautious.
There are two main reasons why people still feel insecure: the peace talks with the LRA are uncertain. In addition, the Karamajong, a fierce nomadic people in the east of Uganda and known for cattle rustling, have been attacking the Acholi communities, stealing livestock, beating people up, and sometimes raping and killing as well. The displaced in mother and satellite camps rely on soldiers from the national army to protect them and the few livestock they have, and many still do not feel they can go back to cultivating their family fields yet.
FH is distributing seeds and tools for those who will be able to plan next season, as well as continuing to provide water and sanitation facilities in a number of satellite camps.
One and half million people were moved into what have come to be known as “mother camps” between 1997 and 2003 for their protection and to undermine support for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) that has been waging war against the Ugandan government for the last 20 years. 
Thus, the international community along with the government had to provide food, and basic services such as water, sanitation facilitations and education, schooling and health services. Still, the proximity of the huts, the lack of privacy and the idleness led to many problems, such as the spread of disease, increase in alcoholism, difficulty in controlling children’s behavior, and an increase in divorce rates, among others.
In every satellite camp we went to there were new huts being constructed all over. There was a palpable feeling of joy for those re-starting their lives close to home. And yet their optimism is cautious.
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