Because land passes through the male side of the family, these women were unable to make claims on their family’s land to ensure their livelihood and survival. And when they contacted the families of their children’s fathers, typically former LRA soldiers, they were similarly rejected. They, and their children, are no longer recognized as part of any com- munity.

Our project has therefore has set aside 12,000 acres, 20% of the entire project land, for sugarcane cultivation by these women. Our projection is that they will have accumulated enough capital over five years to buy their own land. The land was provided to the project by the Cooperatives at no

cost because we cultivated the land, a process valued at

300% of the rent over a five-year period.

Support for Women &
Other Vulnerable Populations

The Acholi sub region was the epicenter of Lord’s Resistance Army atrocities. Many young women were abducted as child soldiers, raped, and had children who were culturally deemed illegitimate and thus not considered members of the community. When these women and children returned from the bush and tried to reintegrate into their communities, they frequently were rejected, even by their own families, and left to fend for themselves.

 

In addition, because the Acholi sub region suffers from a disproportionate number of households with Nodding Syn- drome, a debilitating neurological condition characterized by dropping of the head and often seizure-like characteristics, we are providing 10% of the project’s land to afflicted families in the sub region. They will be able to cultivate sugarcane on the property and earn income to offset the high costs of medical treatment.

Future Diversification for Farmers

Communities control millions of additional acres and will be able to use revenue from the Atiak Sugar Project to di- versify their crops and expand cultivation. In the sub region, there are around 200 acres of cultivatable land for each person. One local community of 5,000 people alone has

3.2 million acres, underscoring the scale of opportunity for building off our current project.