Breaking Rocks

Acholi Quarter: Making .58 Cents a Day

Not quite $700,000,000,000.00

In the capital city of Uganda, Kampala there is a place called the Acholi Quarter. Over 4,000 families (35,000+ people) live in the Acholi Quarter in dire poverty as they've relocated there to escape the war of the LRA in northern Uganda around Gulu.

In the middle of the Acholi Quarter is a rock quarry where people often spend from sunup to sundown breaking rocks. Breaking rocks into smaller rocks. Medium sized rocks into smaller rocks.

Dusty.

Dirty.

Mind-numbing.

7 days a week.

Week after week.

Filling lungs with rock dust. 12 or more hours a day, for 1,000 shillings, which is about .58 cents US. 1,000 shillings buys one person a sub-standard meal for one single day, that's it.

There are many paths out of poverty I suppose, but no easy or simple answers. The fair chance to improve ones situation in life. The chance. The opportunity. The feeling and knowing things can improve and get better. Conditions that allow people to work and make their own lives better themselves. The possibility of hope. The ability to make a difference. Controlling ones own destiny. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness you could even say.

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Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• uganda
• kampala
• LRA
• Acholi
• ned.com
• neddotcom

[Oboi4]

Our leaders have to pay their attention to this situation where our mothers,sisters and girls remained in breaking rocks so that their children servive and got education. This is also happening in Juba South Sudan. God Bless those who are poor. Amen.

[neddotcom]

Oboi4, do you live in Southern Sudan? I also visited Gulu, Uganda on the Southern Sudan border during my trip.

[magdalena2007]

Isn't there something that these women could use to break these rocks easier? Obviously there are electric machines that we use which they cannot, but isn't there something stronger that they can use to break these rocks -it's really heart breaking.

[neddotcom]

Good question magdalena2007. I have a feeling that the answer is those are the cheapest and most available tools.

[magdalena2007]

Something needs to be invented and donated to these women so they can still work but make it easier. I'm glad videos like this are out there.

[neddotcom]

Thnx for the kind words about the video. If you check out the Ned web site you can actually meet some of the women from Uganda yourself. One thing we've talked about at Ned is sending over disposable dusk masks to help keep the rock dust out of their lungs.

[JESUSISGREATEST]

@neddotcom I suggest a grinding machine.

[countyingula]

why are they doing that? hahahaha they should get sledge hammers and don't they have machines for this?

[Oboi4]

Neddotcom,I live in Southern Sudan. Kideopo Valley.

[Oboi4]

I think these are all IDP's displaced by the LRA fighting the Uganda government and Refugees from South Sudan. Our mothers like Mama Rose were happy cultivating and doing other good jobs but due to conflicts they falled to this category. May God bring peace to Uganda and bless the seven children of Mama Rose. Amen

[magdalena2007]

Disposable dust masks -YES!!!!! i'll check out the site