About
Ugandan Community
(LWO Cultural Group, in partnership with African Community Health and Research Organisation)
There are two community groups taking part in the project:
- The LWO Cultural Group, which provides the following services:
- Teaching of songs, music and drama
- Teaching of traditional Lwo dances
- Teaching of Acholi (Lwo) language to young people
- Staging of major arts events in the community
- Organising of outings for the community
- Organising seminars and discussions
- African Community Health and Research Organisation:
- The organisation aims to enable African refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and vulnerable people to integrate and participate in civil society as equal citizens and to promote the well being and health of African refugees and to provide evidence based, culturally appropriate services through research and reviews of services. It also aims to provide the ladder of progression into their new society by offering volunteer opportunities, trainings, information, advice, guidance and support where and whenever appropriate.
There are up to 3,000 Acholi people from Northern Uganda in the UK, most of them living in London. Most of the Acholi arrived in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s as asylum seekers and are now settled and living in the UK. The change of government that took place in Uganda in 1986 affected the Acholi people of Northern Uganda adversely, leading to massive internal and external displacement.
Individual Acholi people, whether ex-soldiers, former civil servants and ordinary people, have a lot to tell about their experiences fleeing from conflict and political persecution, the application process for asylum, cultural impact, getting into the job market and settlement.
