Golden Women Vision Uganda, together with people of different faiths, joined in a march with the aim of stopping heavy drinking in Gulu District. We especially focused on the alcohol that comes packed in plastic sachets (also known as Sachet Waragi), which claimed many lives of our people who died some good years back. At the moment, many men are falling into heavy drinking and failing in their responsibilities as parents. So we marched to showcase that we want there be no more alcohol sachets, so that many people can practice their different faiths and be exemplary to other neighboring countries. This is especially important now, since it was the World Interfaith Harmony Week. This took place on February 6, 2017.
The Bishop, sisters, and RDC, together with some district officials and different community members, stood up for the national anthem after a long tour of Gulu town. They expressed their concern and their intention to do what is right and stand up for their faiths.
They emphasized how important it is for our people of the land to stop heavy drinking and to begin to practice their different faiths in order to bring total peace in the region.
One of the religious leaders thanked everyone who was present. He said, “This means unity among ourselves.” He went on saying, “Some of these people drinking heavily can still change, because they are not practicing their faith well. But when you draw closer to God and spend most of your idle times with him, he will always answer to your plea because he is the amazing lord and a caring one. Let’s not lose hope when we are still alive. The lord God will always provide for our needs.”
He also thanked the team of Golden Women Vision, especially Sylvia the Director, for all her time spent going to Radio Mega whenever she has a programme, teaching people to always practice their different faiths. What she teaches is so inspiring. “Sylvia, keep up the spirit together with your wonderful team. Since you still don’t have any funding, the lord will always bring someone one time and don’t let the fire cool down. Let it remain constant. May the lord bless you all,” he said.
Gulu District councilors arrived a bit late at the dumping pit in Laro Division, Gulu municipal dumping pit, simply because they were still waiting to finish legal procedures and paperwork from the high court to give them the go-ahead for burning the sachet. The officials confirmed and witnessed the burning of alcohol that took place 6th/2/2017. And they were saying: most men spend all their earnings on this! Others come to their office while smelling of alcohol. Let there be no more sachet! We are tired of it right now! “Our children can’t go to school because of this,” one of them commented. We don’t want to see any sachet around Gulu, starting from today onwards!!!!!!!!!
Sylvia Acan Obal, the Director for Golden Women Vision Uganda, was wearing a black dress with some flowers at the scene where the sachet burning took place. “We hope our people in northern Uganda will now change, because many youths, etc, will now be on their bended knees praying to our dear God to have mercy on them, and automatically their lives will be changed and they will be good citizens of the country above all. We shall have no more iron bar hutment because a few months back, the case was very rampant, but it will now come to an end.”
She continued: “We hope SGBV, rape, and defilement of young girls, and school dropouts, will stop in Gulu, because it was the sachet and heavy drinking bringing all these. More is still to be done for our dear people.”
The president Mao saw the smoke burning seriously while the two women councilors’ watched the burning, too. So he decided to cover his nose and mouth for smoke prevention, as the sachet was seriously being burnt.
The burning of the sachet continued and everyone confirmed that it is true Gulu no longer needs sachet around. Now when you are caught taking it, you will pay 40.000 ug shillings as a fine for breaking the rules. At the same time, men will be sentenced to prison.
This was compiled by Sylvia Obal, Golden Women Vision in Uganda.
