January 2010.  The ceasefire in northern Uganda has entered its 4th year.  Signed on August 22, 2006, the cessation of hostilities was initially viewed with a combination of guarded hope and skepticism and for a long time no one left the refugee camps. 

As the peace talks dragged on in Juba, Southern Sudan, people waited. Eventually, many began to move to satellite camps, closer to their homesteads but still providing the relative safety that the open land did not.  Finally, with Joseph Kony and the remainder of the LRA hold up in eastern Congo, the government began applying pressure on the Acholi people to "go home". 

In many cases, of course, there has been no home to go to or resources with which to begin again, but the government has been intent on quickly emptying the camps.  The desire for returning things to "normal" hangs in the air.

But normal is hard to achieve after so many years of war and displacement.  This fact is reflected in our beaders' stories about their lives in a post-conflict world that is only minimally able to provide the support they need, if at all.  From farm tools to supplies with which to rebuild their homes, from conflict mediation to psychological support (many suffer from post-traumatic stress), people automatically look to the international organizations that provided aid to them for so long.  Many of these are gone, feeling their work ended with a stable ceasefire; others are feeling strapped for funds; some are only beginning to come to terms with what is needed and their appropriate role.

In the midst of all the changes, Paper to Pearls has also been considering how to best support our beaders.  The sale of their beautiful work will continue to be fundamental, but we have also decided to expand our efforts by partnering with Ugandan organizations in providing locally sustainable livelihood training. 

For an agricultural people, this can mean honey or peanut butter production; reintroducing livestock, such as goats and cattle that can provide both food and income; and introducing enhanced agricultural techniques.  For our town-based beaders, we can assist them in setting up small businesses and even connecting them with organizations that would buy their beads directly.  There are numerous possibilities that we are just beginning to explore.  But we are convinced that our beaders and their families, and indeed the larger community, are best served by a broad array of opportunities that increase access to both income and independence.  Stay tuned.  We will report here and on other pages of the website as Phase II unfolds.