Culture and nature collide in Northern Uganda’s Acholi community

Farmers in the region feared heavy rains and hailstorm that destroyed their crops were caused by an outsider’s unholy act

Maize, rice, soya bean, cassava, millet and sweet potato are among the crops grown in the region (Unsplash)

By Ronny Job Okot for NBS TV in Uganda

An overnight hail storm destroyed over 200 acres of crops in Northern Uganda, wrecking harvests for more than a hundred households in Omoro District. This was not the first hailstorm in the region, but people there, from the Acholi community, feared that the tragedy was caused by an outsider, who, two days before the storm, buried a dog and marked its grave with a crucifix.

This was an act which the community believed angered the Gods. Ronny Job Okot explores how people in traditional societies come to explain the changing climate patterns that affect their livelihoods. Watch the full story here.

This article is reproduced here as part of the Space for Giants African Conservation Journalism Programme, supported by the owner of ESI Media, which includes independent.co.uk. It aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate.