For the film produced by Kroger Babb, see Karamoja (film). Howard W "Kroger" Babb (December 30 1906 – January 28 1980 was an American film and television producer and Showman. Karamoja was a 1954 film produced by Exploitation filmmaker Kroger Babb.

Districts of Karamoja

Location in Uganda

Karamoja sub-region is a region in northeastern Uganda comprising of the five districts of Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiripirit. The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. Kaabong is a district of Uganda created on 1 July 2005. It has a population of 379775 according to a 2002 census Kotido is a district in northern Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts it is named after its 'chief town' Moroto is a district in northern Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts it is named after its 'chief town' Moroto Town. Nakapiripirit is a district in northern Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts it is named after its 'chief town' Kaabong is on the northeastern borders to Sudan and Kenya, and is home to the Kidepo Valley National Park, Nakapiripirit is the most-eastern one, bordering Mount Elgon National Park. Kidepo Valley National Park is a 1436 km² national park in Karamoja region in northwest Uganda. Mount Elgon National Park is a National park 140 km North East of Lake Victoria.

Geography

The region of Karamoja extends over 27,900 square kilometers. The region is mostly a semi-arid plain with harsh climate and low annual rainfall. A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in In Geography, a plain is an area of land with relatively low relief — meaning that it is flat Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to It is largely savannah, covered with seasonal grasses, thorned plants, and occasional small trees. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include The average elevation of the plain of Karamoja lies at around 1400 meters (4500 feet) above sea level. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The large mountains; Mt. Kadam, Mt. Mount Kadam lies on the east border of Karamoja, Uganda and has an approximate elevation of 3069 m Napak, and Mt. Moroto — lying at the periphery of Karamoja — have peaks reaching around 3000 meters (10,000 feet) and higher. Mount Moroto lies in the north east Uganda in the Karamoja region

Population

The area is inhabited by the Karimojong ethnic group. The Karamojong or Karimojong, are an ethnic group of agro-pastoral herders Other groups in the region include the Oropom, Pokot, Ik, Jie, Dodoth and the Tepeth. The Oropom (or Iworopom Oworopom Oyoropom Oropoi are the aboriginal inhabitants of much of Karamoja in Uganda and probably Turkana District in The Pokot people (commonly spelled Pökoot, and called Suk in older literature live in the West Pokot and Baringo Districts of The Ik (sometimes called Teuso) are an ethnic group numbering a few thousand people living in the mountains of northeastern Uganda near the border with Kenya Significant numbers of Karamojong belong to and attend both the Catholic and Anglican Churches. Baptist and PAG churches are also coming up in the area.

According to 2002 national population and housing Census, the population of Karamoja has grown at an average of 7. 2% from 370,423 in 1991 to 966,245 in 2002. The highest population growth rate was in Kotido District 9. 7%.

Economy

Karamoja inhabitants comprise predominantly cattle keeping groups leading semi-nomadic lifestyle mixed with crop cultivation ( Jie, Bokora, Dodoth, Pokot and Matheniko) and settled agricultural communities (Labwor) and mountain tribes (Tepeth, Kadam, Ik, Nyangia and Mening). Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that Table one gives an overview of major economic activities in Karamoja.

(Micro)Finance Services in Karamoja

Table three indicates that the Microfinance clientele reached so far are the minority of urban and peri-urban populations; to date less than 5,000 people in Karamoja. Yet Karamoja holds a total bankable population of over 200,000 people (approx. 20% of population). Most of the remaining 80% (approx. 800,000 people) of Karamoja population may be assumed to use less than Ug. Shs. 45,000 (approx. US$ 25) per month.

The Business community and salaried employees, which is less than 5% of the population of Karamoja, is catered for to a certain extent through Stanbic outlets in Moroto (central Karamoja) and Kotido (Northern Karamoja). The larger population (>95%) however do not have access to financial services, either due to distance from the bank, ignorance/illiteracy or the small size of transactions which they engage in. This means that the demand for microfinance services is high. Microfinance services would be especially useful to the women who engage in petty trade like brewing, charcoal selling, food stuff vending, etc. More pertinent would be the introduction of microfinance products suitable for the predominantly pastoral community of Karamoja. Karimojong have traditionally exchanged their livestock through the dangerous and unprofitable practice of armed raiding and counter raiding. Livestock microfinance products would provide a less dangerous and more lucrative alternative for the community in the region.

Informal savings and credit associations are a strong expression of demand for financial products (regularly they do not only include savings and credits but also some basic insurance elements). They have been applied in Karamoja just as in all other regions of the world; however, a comparative assessment of its density has not been undertaken so far. There are some multi-purpose NGOs like OXFAM, ADRA, SNV, KPIU, MADEFO, SSDD, KADP, RIAMRIAM and others which support self help initiative groups who engage in informal Savings and Credit schemes These NGOs have reported extraordinary successes with projects drawing on informal savings schemes. A ded-programme implemented by KPSDPC in 2005/2006 also encouraged groups to save and linked them to Moroto SACCO. Approx. Ug. Shs. 2. 3 million were accumulated in eleven women groups’ accounts, which translates to approx. Ug. Shs. 14,000 per head (Schmidt 2006). The tendency to prefer livestock-savings in rural women groups was also noted.

Armed Conflict

As pastoralism and conflict are strongly interrelated, the integrated management of natural resources, like pasture, livestock and water becomes crucial. In terms of economic activity the region depends on cattle keeping, mining, and trading in agricultural produce with neighboring districts.

In mid-2006, as first reported by Inner City Press and then by The New Vision, the United Nations Development Programme halted its disarmament programs in Karamoja in response to human rights abuses in the parallel forcible disarmament programs carried out by the Uganda People's Defense Force. There have been reports of atrocities and many civil victims of the disarmament, as army forces and “warriors” clashed. Apparently, the army applied heavy weaponry against the “manyatas” (villages) where firearms are suspected, regardless of women, elder and children inhabitants. The information level and quality is very scarce, though. Some sources say that such reports have been greatly exaggerated and that the disarmament is showing positive effect on economic activity in the region.

Human Development

Human welfare, living conditions and quality of life of the people in Karamoja have declined considerably due to many combined factors i. e. harsh weather, insecurity, marginalization, illiteracy, poor health and poor infrastructure etc. Moroto and Nakapiripirit have the lowest HDI of 0. 183 and Kotido has 0. 194 as compared to an average of 0. 4491 for Uganda.

The Districts of Karamoja have the highest human Poverty Indices (HPI) with Nakapiripirit and Moroto Districts having 63. 5% and Kotido has 53. 8%, compared to the national average of 37. 5%, Central region of 31. 5%, Northern region 46. 1%, Western region 39. 0% and Eastern region 37. 1%. (See table two).

There are at least 5 regional hospitals in Karamoja, providing affordable health services to the area. The locations include Matany, Moroto, Amudat, Kotido and Kaabong.

Poverty is increasing and according to the Karimojong, the main factors responsible for poverty include persistent poor harvest as a result of dry spells and droughts, cattle rustling and insecurity, animal death, lack of water, poor farming practices, ill health and disability, high bride price for marriage, lack of skills and unemployment, limited sources of income, poor governance and landlessness (UPPAP 2002).

The 1980 famine in Karamoja was, in terms of mortality rates, one of the worst in history. 21% of the population died, including 60% of the infants. [1] This is not far behind the worst famine since 1400, the great famine in Finland in 1696, which killed a third of the population. [2]

Language

Basic glossary with some Ngakarimojong words:

Sources

Karamoja Microfinance Committee (KMFC): Karamoja Microfinance Strategy, AMFIU Working Paper No. 4, Kampala, 2006.

Katalemwa M. / Mbabazi, J. : Microfinance Outreach: AMFIU backstops Karamoja DPC, partners to develop Microfinance strategy for the region, in: Supplement to The New Vision, The Daily Monitor, 6. December 2005.

Schmidt, O. (2006): Do Microfinance Development Strategies care about the consumer? – Assessing Microfinance trends and drivers upon the case of Uganda, in: ded-info-CD financial sector development, Bonn (ded, department P12).

External links

• Karamoja and the Karamojong on UGPulse.com
• For Life Onlus is a non profit making Italian registered charity working in Karamoja Uganda
• Karamoja Data Centre
• Moroto District website
• Nakapiripirit District website
• An awareness-raising campaign on Karamoja in Europe