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section of widow in Acholi is able to meet their expenses by making local brew made out of millet and sorghum.
The money they earn from the local brew also pays school fees for their children.
Ms Mary Lamunu a 57, year old mother of 4 says she is paying her son to a secondary school and planning to buy a plot of land in the near future for her and her children to avoid the burden of renting.
She hopes to makes her children great men in the country by paying all their school dues from the little money she earns from selling local brew.
Lamunu who does not want her children to be illiterate like her wants to invest in livestock so that she does not lack income in her home.
Ms Judith Lakot, 47, a mother of five says she is determined to make ends meet by grooming her children to be educated citizens.
She pays rent, medical bills and buys food for her children without begging from relatives and friends.
Ms Paska Anyoda, the head of ‘LIT KI LANYEKO’ women`s group in kanyagoga, a parish Bardege division in Gulu municipality bragged that she has raised orphans and her children from the business since 2003. She keeps her money in a monthly saving group and affords basic needs for her children at home.
“I also lend small money to my fellow group members from my saving when they have financial crisis,” She said.
Ms Irene Apiyo 29 appealed to fellow women to join the business instead of straying and engaging in commercial sex.
“Brewing alcohol is better that commercial sex. Commercial sex will result in health risks including HIV/AIDS virus and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Its benefits are short term; my fellow young women should get into groups and begin making alcohol. I started with a small capital of Shs100.000 but now am better off,” She said.
The women say this business has made life easier for them.
They jointly detested a decision by Acholi religious leaders who proposed a ban on the sale of alcohol in the sub region.
The joint religious leaders headed by vice chairperson Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), Sheikh Musa Killil, said alcohol has destroyed the lives of people in Acholi sub region especially the one packed in Sachets.
He called on politicians and people investing in the alcohol business to stop immediately and save the future of Acholi community.
The women appealed for more customers and well-wishers to offer them financial support since they are already in groups to boost their business and make much better standards of living.
LIT KI LANYEKO WOMEN GROUP has seven sub groups each comprising of at least 15 members. The women say in good days they raise at least Shs300, 000 to Shs500.000 weekly. They say in a year they can save a mini
1 Comment
I’m a hundred percent behind these women who are brewing local alcoholic drinks to support their family than those who are selling cachet and crued spirit from the neighbouring districts.
Kongo bel calo kwette, wiiri, ki lacooyi are better alcohol drinks because they have mwoc cam. Kadi bed ni meeri, ento Pr balo organs. Man aye kongo ma megi wa ocullu wan kwede i gang kwan. In the seventies and eighties long me bal wic, too wang, hepatitis, raping, mato jai ki tim jok mogo calo mon mutii butu ki awobe matino ni onongo pe winye.
Kongo wiri ki lacooyi omyero ki nyep I Acholi pe kigeng catone.
Me acel lacooyi ki mato ingee tic ki ingee cam me dye ceng dok pe buttu I wii dano.
Me aryo lacoyi kelo rwatte ikin dano dok cente ne ki romo jogo ajoga. Pe calo kavera ma kicwiyo wa ki I coron akwo akwo dok bene nonge cawa mo kekeni.
Wiiri ki kwette bene kongo ma mwoc cam tye iye, yubu yot dok bene pe wano dano calo guli. And it’s a social drink which bring people together and it’s cheap. We should promote and support our culture. I have never heard of somebody addiction to kwette, wiiri, or lacooyi even lujuttu. This is because these drinks don’t contain additive chemical. Why should we drink whiskey when we have guli? why Irish cream when we have kwette? Why wine when we have wiiri? Don’t think that drinking local brew make you local it’s save your life and your money supports home. The world is corrupted don’t consume what you don’t know how and what it’s made of. The writer live and work in the UK and only socially drink kwette or lacooyi when visiting home and that won’t make me backward but happy to share and support struggling mothers.