Hi all,

What we'd like to do is give you a better idea of what the culture is like in the area we are living in. It is hard to believe that a group of people could still be living the way they do in this day and age. But this is a part of the world that is often ignored and purposely bypassed by every one in Uganda. It has little oppurtunity for the people to get ahead and get out of the exterme proverty that they live in.
Education is not welcome as a part of everyday living unless the children get something other than an education from school. Give them a warm bed and a meal and you'll fill the school, but the education is not the reason they send their child to school. Girls are not always allowed to go to school because as soon as they are old enough to start caring for the younger siblings-usually at age 4 or5, they become the primary care giver for the family. It is a common site to see little girls carrying a baby on their back and a jerry can (5 gallons) of water on their heads, walking as far as a half mile each way for clean water. So the family relies heavily on the young irls for work and family cargiving, not as one who should get an education.

In the early 1990's tribal elders from this region got together with the local witchdoctors and cursed a pen and buried it.The pen represented education, and it was considered a crime against the village to go to school. Nine years later the pen was dug up and the curse "removed", and the ban lifted about school attendence. But only for those who can afford the tution and who don't have family responsiblities of raising younger children or to be the herdsman for the animals.

That brings us to the cows. This is the most important item that a Karamajon man can own. The more he has the wealthier he is, or thought to be. He uses the cow as a staus symbol, as a way to pay for a bride and payment to the woman's parents when a child is born by his wife. In this respect, a girl is more valuable at birth than a boy. The Karamajon men will go to any lenght to get more cows. They will steal and kill others to get the cows. There are not very many of the men we have come to know at the mission, who work for us and are apart of the church attendence that have paid money for a cow. This is something that rarely occurs. They will sell a cow for cash, but never pay cash for a cow. Even if it is a matter of life and death. Rarely is a healthy cow ever used for food, even in the face of starvation. They will eat a sick cow if they can't sell it, but not a healthy one. The more you own the wealthier you are and more respect is given to those who own many cows. He will not trade a cow for a human life. (There have been times when a goat was sold for payment of a medical bill, but this is very rare.)

The young boys are used as the shepards for the cows. The cows are moved into the ere (village) every night and placed in a corral in the middle of the village for safety. At sun rise the cows are moved out of the corrals and out into the grasslands for grazing. Little boys as young as 3 years of age are guarding a herd of 20 or more cattle daily until sunset. Often the young boys are not all that attentive of their duties and the cattle get into the crops or "gardens" and eat someone elses grains. This can result in a beating for that little boy.
The cows normally are "safe" during the daylight hours, from raiding by other tribes. But at night, the danger goes up and men are posted in trees and at other vantage points to be the lookouts and spot in-coming trouble. From what we have been told, true or not, a cattle raids takes much planning and work. The scouts are sent out to an area as long as 3-4 weeks in advance to get cattle counts, learn the routine of the shepards, and the number of opposing men that are in that area. Raiding parties can be small or very large, depending on the number of cattle available or needed. All raiding is done in the cover of night and cloudy nights are best. Warriors will go great distances to get cattle, 20-30 miles away. This is all done on foot, no vehicles or horses are used, just AK-47s are taken along. When we have inquired how it is determined who gets the cows after the raid, how they are divided up after the raid, a simple anwer was given. "Whoever needs them" was stated.

Cattle raiding goes both ways.If the Karamajon raid another tribe, it is likely that the tribe will raid the Karamajon tribe trying to get their cows back. It can result in many deaths and injuries on both sides. Both of which can impact the lives of each village. Yet this does not stop either of them from planning another raid.

There have been many peace meetings set up by various Aid organizations and Church groups for this problem. The suggestion has been made often that the bride price should be lowered to 3 or less cows and only cows that were purchased at the auction should be used. So far no tribe is willing to accept these restrictions. The raiding goes on!!!

We struggle with trying to teach the people in our area that this is wrong, people lose their lives and are crippled and how it hurts their families. But this has been their way of life for so long, and they are not ready to give it up yet. We can only hope to reach the little children and help them to understand that they change their life and still survive.