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Welcome to the web site of the Teso Development Trust. Thank you for visiting.
Click here for the latest Newsletter and use the menu buttons at the top to navigate. Within the 'What we do' pages you will find more detailed information on the projects we are focussing on.
Read the Teso Development Trust Annual Report and Review 2006/7 here
New information is available about the Water Programmes , the Relief and Resettlement Programme , and the Child Sponsorship Programme
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Simply click here to go to the TDT page.
Uganda is a land-locked country in East Africa about the same size as the United Kingdom, but with a population of about 28 million and life expectancy of 46. It is one of the poorest countries in the world - and Teso is one of the poorest areas of Uganda.
Teso is a fertile region in the north-east of Uganda, bordered by Lango to the west, Bukedi to the south, and the arid region of Karamoja to the north and east. Over the past 20 years, the people of Teso and Karamoja have often suffered from being marginalised as well as lack of resources, drought and famine, conflicts and cattle raiding.
Historically, the Iteso people were pastoralists descended from the Karimojong tribe, migrating southwards about four centuries ago in search of better pasture for their animals. They found a fertile area, where they became settled farmers, able to grow a variety of crops as well as graze their livestock.
Since then, the Karimojong have been raiding the cattle of Teso, trying to retrieve "their lost animals" from the generations before. This was a mutual "sport" until the overthrow of Amin's regime in 1979 when fleeing soldiers left their armouries open in Karamoja and the local spears were replaced by guns. Karimojong raids into Teso then became increasingly aggressive, largely because of the devastating effect of the gun. About 80,000 have now been living in camps for up to 20 years for greater safety.
In 1987, the new President Museveni sent in the Ugandan Army to help. Unfortunately, this only exacerbated the situation, with raiding and pillaging by the army and the formation of rebel groups. This was followed by a government decision to force most of the Iteso into designated areas so that the army could then operate a "scorched earth policy" to eradicate the rebels. No provision was made for shelter, sanitation, water, food, health or education. Thousands died of disease or when going out to find food; thousands more fled out of Teso.
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Hearing of their plight, a group of people in the UK, most of whom had lived or worked in Teso, formed the "Teso Relief Campaign" to try and alleviate the situation with practical help. This became the "Teso Development Trust" in 1989 as Teso moved from a situation of needing emergency relief to one of rehabilitation as the conflict receded. TDT continued for the next 10 years to serve the needs of the very poor in Teso by encouraging local self-help initiatives with small grants and loans.
However, tragedy struck again on June 15th 2003, when the so-called "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) invaded Teso from the northwest. The LRA had waged an evil campaign of terror - child abduction, mutilation, murder and general destruction - since 1986/7, in their own tribal area of Acholi in northern Uganda and later into Lango. Although they met with such resistance in Teso that they were gone by January 2004, their widespread vicious attacks and abductions left Teso devastated once again. Thousands were killed or abducted, including children, and hundreds of thousands fled southwards. Once again, about 300,000 people were displaced within their own region, living without any provision for the basic necessities of life. And once again, TDT did much to lobby and raise funds for emergency relief.Explore this site to find out more about how you can work with Teso Development Trust to help the people of Teso help themselves rebuild their lives.
Although now, in 2008, the LRA is no longer a threat, thousands remain in camps, either because they have no resources to return home and start again, re-building homes and cultivating, or because of continuing fear of Karimojong raids. TDT is again involved in helping displaced people return home, as well as supporting communities and families in various ways, such as small loans, improving water supplies, sponsoring secondary education of orphans and other vulnerable children, supporting new schools and re-stocking with goats. The serious flooding of the area in 2007 has left a legacy that thousands lost their harvest and a famine threatens. Much damage to wells and sanitation, homes and schools remains to be repaired. The Trust provided help through its partners to over 15,000 people with food, mosquito nets, boots, and blankets and continues to channel help through food aid and a supply of seeds and tools to recover farming, with the hope of good harvest in 2008.
Explore this site to find out more about how you can work with Teso Development Trust to help the people of Teso help themselves rebuild their lives.
The crested crane -
national bird of Uganda
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