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Uganda: Gulu Landmine Victims Earn a Living From Clay
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The Monitor (Kampala)
11 September 2007
Posted to the web 10 September 2007
Patience Aber & Charles Akena
Gulu
THEY may have been disabled by landmines during the 20-year northern war but some residents of Gulu have proved that disability is not inability.
They are members of the Avsi aided landmine survivor's pottery project in Pece Division, Gulu Municipality.
Endowed with moulding and tile making machines, the 18 landmine survivors work at the machines and at the end of the day, several cups, pots and flowerpots are displayed for sale.
These people appear to have drowned the misfortune of being disabled in their busy clay work schedule but the past still haunts them.
Like her colleagues, 20-year old Christine Laker never thought she would become disabled until a landmine hit her in Paibona village, Awac Sub-county in Gulu District in 1995.
On the fateful day Ms Laker was on her way to the garden when she stepped on the mine. It shattered her legs. Ms Laker, then eight, was later amputated at the hospital. In a sad tone, she says the incident was the worst in her life.
"I was a very healthy child. I was born with normal limbs until I was hit by a landmine," she said.
Avsi is training the landmine survivors in pottery and other craft skills to enable them undertake income generating activities to earn a living.
Ms Jennifer Lanyero, 25, and a mother of one had her right leg amputated after a landmine hit her.
She is a member of the Gulu-Amuru landmine survivors group and is optimistic that she will reap big from the project.
"At the moment we are undergoing training and are not getting much from the project. We are only getting soap, food and accommodation," she said.
"I believe that when we complete the training and begin serious work, we shall be getting something good."
Mr Michael Ochan Ogom, a mine risk educator with the Avsi Gulu office says they want the survivors to run the project as their own business.
He said the project is promising since the clay pieces are selling well in Gulu and south Sudan. Mr Ochan said some construction firms in Gulu have shown interest in the survivors' products since they produce high quality pots and tiles.
"Some of the companies said this would be a big relief to them since they will not be spending money in transporting clay products from Kampala.
They visited our factory and said these products are good," he said. Some of the clay works include roofing and ventilation tiles, pompe, flowerpots, candle stands, and charcoal stoves.
Mr Ochan said production is still minimal since most of the survivors are training and they don't have all the necessary skills.
"They will increase production capacity after acquiring the skills. The money from the sales will then be used to support other landmine victims registered with Avsi," he said.
Mr Ochan said they intend to produce about 1,000 clay products a day and sell them to contractors in Gulu to raise funds to support other land mine survivors registered with Avsi.
The $12,000 (Shs2 million) Avsi funded project targets the northern Uganda, southern Sudan and DR Congo markets.
According to a 2006 survey done by the Avsi Gulu field office that Daily Monitor has obtained, 1,387 mine incidents have occurred in Gulu and Amuru districts in the last 20 years. And out of these, 57 per cent were injuries and at least 38 per cent deaths.
Majority of the victims are male. Of the devices that caused the incidents, anti personnel mines constituted the largest percentage at 61 per c ent while antitank mines made up for 11 per cent.
The Avsi Mine Action Coordinator, Mr Marcos Rossini, said the worse hit years throughout the period of the war were: 1995 (109) 1996 (310), 1997 (134) and 1998 (81).
He said the biggest problem at the moment is the unexploded bombs and shells still in the ground.
Mr Rossini said a recent survey by Handicap International showed that most landmine incidents occur in the aftermath of war when the population is trying to resettle.
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He said in the last four months, residents have reported fewer landmine cases to Avsi than ever before. He said the police, sub county chiefs, and local councillors have also helped report the incidents to Avsi focal points.
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