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LIRA

Civil society organisations in Lango region have launched a platform, which is aimed at localising the aid system in Uganda.

The Lango Humanitarian Platform (LHP), according to its chairperson, Moses Augustine Otim, is expected to co-ordinate, map and collaborate, bringing together members of CSOs, NGOs, private sector, the media, politicians and businessmen in addressing challenges that affect Lango without discriminating against any form of existence.

“The platform shall be used to expose to the outside world, the challenges people are going through, including the high level of poverty where Lango is rated third with Otuke district leading, and the floods which require emergency response,” Otim said during the launch at Margarita Palace Hotel in Lira on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Julian Joyce Acoko, the national chairperson of Chater 4 Change Working Group, who doubles as the executive director of Northern Uganda Widows and Orphan Aid Support Organisation, said there is a continuous crisis that is coming up in the society, as a result of environmental degradation, human rights violations and gender equality and the members of LHP should be the responders.

Led by Uganda Police Band, Members of the CSOs and other stakeholders marching on the Lira City streets during the launch of Lango Humanitarian Platform. (Credit: Joseph Ekol)

Acoko said the local organisations should ensure they take part in any programme being designed by the donors, targeting their community to enable them to address the real needs of the vulnerable communities and should not only wait to implement what has been designed and brought to them.

Dr Morris Chris Ongom, the chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce, Lira, said the community is faced with a lot of challenges and coming together under one umbrella will enable the CSOs and other partners to forge solutions locally without waiting and relying on the international NRGs and donors always.

Local solutions

Ongom said the international organisations have been using the local organisations to achieve for them results and they (international organisations) only come and document the achievements and they go away and the local NGOs remain with the problem of sustaining the results when the project goes away.

With the coming together of the organisations and humanitarian platform launch on Thursday, Ongom said they will be able to curry their vision for a long time since they will be designing the programs that suit the needs of their people and the international NGOs and donors only fund it.