Stories from the Field: Early July

Searching for firewood in a remote part of Zone 3

Dear All,

Welcome back! I hope that your July has been well so far.

May, June, and the beginning of July saw nearly no rainfall here in Imvepi. This is unusual and has devastated the maize planted by refugees and hosts across the settlement in April. We have heard great concern among participants of hunger in the coming months, when harvested maize would typically be harvested and consumed to hold families over until the end-of-year harvest of sorghum and cassava. All over the settlement dried maize stalks are seen uprooted and simply used as mulch for the remaining cassava.

Dried maize stalks uprooted and used to mulch the remaining cassava crop

Though too late to save the maize, rain finally did arrive this week while Robilert and I were deep in the bush waiting for a host participant to collect firewood. The rain was extremely heavy: it was the first time I have ever heard rain approaching before it actually begins to fall overhead. We had to leave the firewood and rush to the closest compound, where we took shelter under the thatch awning of a home. A baby goat and mother were also sheltering from the rain, and we joined them on the side of the building with the least wind exposure to wait out the storm.

Robilert and our participant hanging out with goats as we waited for a thunderstorm to pass

Refugee side: Work in Zone 3 and 4

For the last few weeks, we have shifted our research with refugees to Zones 3 and 4 of Imvepi. Most of the 68,000 refugees living in Imvepi are located in Zones 1 and 2, which were the first zones to be settled. Zones 3 and 4 have comparatively lower population densities. While Zone 3 is settled by South Sudanese refugees who arrived in 2017-2018, Zone 4 is settled by refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who arrived in 2020-2022. The low population density in Zones 3 and 4 is due to at few factors. One is that the land is extremely rocky, making agricultural production difficult. Piles of rocks have been meticulously extracted from the soil in Zones 3 and 4 by farmers for the purpose of planting maize, cassava and sorghum.

Rocks picked out of a farm field, preparing for sorghum production

A shower in Zone 4 constructed from rocks dug out of the soil

Additionally, these zones are very far from the Imvepi marketplace at Point J and we heard that some refugees resettled themselves over to Zones 1 and 2 to be closer to the main market. A small marketplace, however, has developed between Zones 3 and 4. As we walk through this market on our way to collect firewood, and I am struck by the extent to which it is a melting pot between three groups: Kakwa-speaking South Sudanese refugees, Alur-speaking Congolese refugees, and Lugbara-speaking host nationals. Beautiful crafts are found in the market, including baskets woven by Congolese refugees from twisted grass wrapped in strips of food ration bags.

Congolese baskets available for sale in the Zone 3/Zone 4 marketplace

A fascinating discovery in Zones 3 and 4 has been the relative ease with which participants access firewood, when compared to Zone 1 and Zone 2 participants. Few to no conflicts are reported by refugees in these zones, and the average distance travelled for firewood has been 1-2 miles roundtrip. In some cases, refugees access firewood from host land with no need for trading food rations, or even asking permission. The reasons for improved firewood access seem to be a currently sufficient supply of firewood, and low market demand . The market value of a bundle of firewood in Zones 3 and 4 is only 1500-2000 Ugandan shillings (UGX), compared to 4000-6000 UGX in Zones 1 and 2 where firewood is scarce and the market demand is high.

Our firewood walks in Zones 3 and 4 have taken us to remote areas where we have encountered edible, medicinal, and fiber plants not previously encountered. For example, a participant identified a new medicinal plant known as kambanapotu in Kakwa which only grows from termite hills. The roots can be pounded and applied to skin wounds or the bottom of feet in case someone steps on a painful thorn. Another participant took us on a vigorous walk over steep hills and valleys in the direction of river Enyau, where she collected not only firewood, but a fiber species called muda which she uses for making brooms to sell at market.

Kambanapotu growing out of an anthill (left), with roots (right) used to treat skin wounds

A refugee participant strips leaves off stems of muda, a broom-making plant

A zone 3 refugee participant introduced us to clumps of soil scattered around the bush called kopi, which resemble the inside of a wasp hive. These structured clumps are created and inhabited by termites which live inside. He informed us that bits of these clumps are often consumed by pregnant women because of a mineral they contain and that his wife used to request that he bring the clumps home during her pregnancy. Kopi is also brought home and broken open to provide feed for chickens.

Clumps of kopi, consumed for minerals by pregnant women

Host side: Male participants in Ijako

We are now working in the host village of Ijako, located just north of Imvepi. We have been able to engage more male participants in this village than in previous villages, perhaps due to a lull in their agricultural activities. The three men we have interviewed so far, all in their late 40's or early 50's, grew up together in Ijako and have formed a weekly social group, centered around drinking locally-brewed cassava beer. While cassava beer can be a social uniter, it is also a drain on family income. For instance, one of our participants from Ijako told us that he had spent part of his anticipated research stipend on cassava brew the day before we even arrived to work with him.

Another male participant reported owning 28 acres, a significant amount of land even among hosts. When asked about his use of that land, and he shared that he provides 8 acres to 17 refugees for agricultural activities at no cost. I was surprised by his decision not to charge refugees for renting land, given that he could earn 50,000 Ugandan shillings or more per quarter-acre rented out. Digging further, I asked our participant if he ever had been a refugee himself, and indeed we learned that in the 1970's his family was displaced to South Sudan for 11 years due to civil conflict in northern Uganda. He told us that while in South Sudan, his family depended on land provided for free by South Sudanese to grow food. As a result of that experience, he sympathizes with South Sudanese refugees now displaced here in Uganda and decided to share land with them for free. He also can speak South Sudanese Arabic, which facilitates his friendship with refugees.

Male participants in Ijako: Holding a fiber species used for tying firewood bundles (left) and seated under a mango tree planted 24 years ago (right)

In other news: A baptism and Imvepi Fitness Group

I am leaving you this week with a few other stories from life in Imvepi. Last Sunday I joined my dear friend Lilly and her family for a baptism at their South Sudanese Methodist church. As always, the singing and dancing was vibrant and inspiring (see the video below). Four mothers sat with their newborn babies and the church clergy conducted a special service, pouring a bit of water on the head of each baby while reciting special prayers. I was touched that one of the babies was named after Lilly, as a deeply respected community leader.

Baptism at Lilly's church, where she looks on as a child is named after her (left)

And our Imvepi Fitness Club keeps attracting new members to join our evening walking/jogging around the settlement. Last Saturday we jogged a full 10 miles from Imvepi's basecamp down to the bridge connecting Imvepi to neighboring Rhino Camp refugee settlement and back. We took a break at the bridge to pose for a group photo.

The Imvepi Fitness Club

That is all for this week! Take good care and I look forward to sharing again soon.