Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision - December 7, 2004
Patrick Jaramogi
"We started as a small group of 22 in 1991 in response to governments policy to help people to form themselves into groups," said Florence Ekemu, the founder of the Kaberamaido Koboi Acheria and Amuria Women's Group, (KOKA).
Today, the group has 1,115 members of which 800 are women and 315 are men. Ekemu was giving a testimony in commemoration of NSARWU's 10 years anniversary at Hotel Africana recently. KOKA started with a donation of 16 oxen from Mrs Janet Museveni (above). These were given to four women groups to help them in group farming.
Today, five women in the group have educated their children up to senior six, and two up to senior four.
Two of the women have paid dowry for their sons, bought land and built simple houses for them.
"To KOKA women, it is the LRA war which extended to Teso region that deterred our progress. We would be far by now," Ekemu said. KOKA is a brainchild of Mrs Janet Museveni. She is also chairperson and founder of NSARWU.
"These rural women are the pillars of our nation. We should listen to them when they express their views. No matter what time it takes," Mrs Museveni said while addressing the rural women recently.
She added women must fight for their empowerment and independence.
"NSARWU was born to fight poverty among the rural women and it's gratifying to note that the fruits of what we sowed are being reaped now," she said. In 2001, UNIDO identified KOKA as a pilot project for the post harvest handling activities.
"KOKA women have been trained in food processing. They can make pastries like cookies and cakes from cassava," said Ekemu.
KOKA plans to set up a modern Vocational Life Skills and Development Centre to cater for school dropouts, train women in HIV/AIDs prevention as well as nutrition.
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