Dear Sisters,

As we come near to the Global Women’s Strike on 8th March 2002. We are demanding for end of World Wars, since billions of lives are lost especially innocent children and women. We have organized many meetings and ongoing meetings collecting the local demands for the Strike and explaining the Global Strike and why all women should join the Global Strike. And also explaining how much we managed to achieve in the past two years e.g. free medical treatment, respect for women’s rights and enlightenment of girl child etc. Our local demand are: we support the disarmament in Karamoja, many have died, children, women and husbands; affordable and accessible housing and transport; protection from all violence at home and outside.

Women, girls and men have promised to join us for the Global Strike, so far we have visited 100 parishes and more information has reached all the women’s groups in Karamoja and the neighbouring districts.  Plans are underway to arrange for a centre/place where we shall all meet on International Women’s Day for the Global Women’s Strike.  Our theme is "INVEST IN CARING NOT KILLING’’.  We call on the women globally to join us. We have agreed to wear traditional dresses and carry a broom as symbolic sign to sweep the world clean and solve this local and international super crisis.

We have opened up an information/counseling office at our women’s centre which will operate until April 2002. People will get all the information about the Global Women’s Strike. Everybody is allowed to visit the centre and give their opinion. We shall receive and share letters, posters and any other information concerning women and men. There will be free legal advice, antenatal services, counseling or settling domestic disputes, functional adult literacy and informal discussions on women’s lives. We shall organize these activities at our Women Centre to demonstrate to the world and our community the achievements and commitments of Kaabong Women’s Group to the cause of the Global Women Strike as a tool to demand desirable social change. We echo "STOP THE WORLD AND CHANGE AND CHANGE IT." We demand for a world that values all women’s work and lives, and an end to no pay, low pay too much work.

Here are some testimonies collected from the Women Community in Dodoth in Jan 2002.

Power to Sisters

Testimonies from our community collected by Kaabong Women’s Group in our area:

I am a Rural Woman and a Woman councillor in my village (KALAPATA). For two years since we join Global Women’s Strike, there is a great change in my life. My husband has given me a land which I now [have] and he appreciates my work at home, sometimes buys me gifts. Maria.

I will always urge many women and men to join this year’s Global Women’s Strike as I have seen the strongest weapons is the Strike. Me and my family can now get free medical treatment. Joyce.

I am the third wife of a warrior who is always moving from place to place for green pastures for his cows. As we join this year’s Strike and believe all the guns in Karamoja will be handed over to the government. We shall join other grassroots Women Globally as we keep the people and the community together. We request men and women globally to join us in this year’s theme, invest in caring NOT killing. Apio Margaritta.

I still remember "STOP THE WORLD and change it". Since the strike our men have seen reality of our work of giving birth to, feeding, building, gardening and caring for the whole world. Believe me in my life my husband thought I was his property but for sure since the Global Women’s Strike he respects my rights, he gave me one cow and two goats as I talk now for two years I have six animals of my own. I can sell or do anything to my animals without asking for permission from my husband. Mary.

I believe in the Global Strike. This time in my village many men will join us on 8th March 2002. They know we are striking for the right course. Rose.

As a village woman, I can realize that there is a great change since the Global Women’s Strike. I have never visited the hospital in my life. For the first time I gave birth to my fifth child in a village maternity ward free of charge. Kolikoli.

I am a younger wife of a warrior. Here I strongly believe in the Global Strike, I lost my two children (sons) during the tribal wars and many women were raped. My local demand is to support the disarmament program in Karamoja. Maria Pedipedi.

I am a village health worker and a single mother. I must strongly say that I urge women to join the Global Women’s Strike, while starvation is facing us and other millions of people. Since the two years strike our male community now know the value of single mothers in the society. Margaret.

I support the Global Women’s Strike. We have been organizing for the Strike with other women’s groups involving girls and some men, and I am so glad that grassroots women and girls from over 60 countries have come together to demand an end to too much work, a provision of health services, clean water, an end to war conflicts. We shall all ‘chant "invest in caring not killing’’. We wait for the big day 8th March 2002. Ajilong – Member of KWGO.

I am a local councillor of Lolelia Parish, I support the struggle of women to change the world into a peaceful world. I urge all men and globally to support the Global Women’s Strike. John Jukamoe.

NB send copies to all sisters