8th Land Awareness Week Brings Hope to Busoga Sub Region
On 26 August, ActionAid International Uganda, a leading advocate for land rights, joined different stakeholders to launch the 8th Land Awareness Week in Iganga district. The annual event, which ActionAid has been a key organizer of, aims to promote land rights by sensitizing communities and providing pro-bono services. The theme for this year was:
During the event, residents from the Busoga subregion were empowered with comprehensive training on their land rights. The training covered crucial topics such as women's land rights, how to acquire a land title, how to tell if your title is registered, and customary land, instilling a sense of empowerment and knowledge among the participants.
Throughout the week, a team of lawyers provided much-needed relief through Pro-Bono legal aid clinics. This initiative not only gave several people a chance to seek clarity on the issues affecting them but also reassured them that help was available.
Esther Kisembo, the FGG project coordinator at ActionAid International Uganda, said, "This year, we are in the Busoga subregion, where we are looking at sugarcane plantations, issues of land, issues of the national land information system, and different issues that are going to be raised in our communities."
The event was timely, given the region's rampant land challenges. The RDC noted that " we have a challenge of land grabbing, which is rampant in Busoga. We have a challenge of unproductive land."
At the end of the awareness week, there was a significant impact. The residents had been educated on their land rights and the processes of securing their land. Several women, men, and the elderly desperate for information could be seen gladly leaving the venues for the community dialogues, instilling a sense of hope and optimism in the community.
Over the years, the land awareness week has transformed Ugandans. It started in 2017 in the Acholi Subregion. What came up was the issue of compensation regarding Madvani. Following the awareness week, the minister handled the issue, and people received their compensation. In the Teso Subregion, the contention over the Soroti University land was sorted following the land awareness week in 2018.
