LocationsShaping a Future of Resilience and Community Cohesion in Kotido District: Naden Lucia’s Journey
May 5, 2026
Lucia, one of the beneficiaries of the BRICK project sun drying some of her crop harvest.
In the arid landscapes of Karamoja, where livelihoods are often fragile and opportunities are limited, stories of transformation stand as powerful reminders of what is possible when resilience meets opportunity. One such story is that of Naden Lucia, a 39-year-old widow and mother of four from Watakau village in Nakapelimoru Sub-County in Kotido district.
Lucia’s journey is one of determination in the face of adversity. With limited support and significant responsibilities, she was driven by a simple but powerful goal: to provide a better future for her children. In 2023, she became an active member of the Nakapelimoru Women Peace Forum, where she contributed to strengthening social cohesion, participating in community dialogue, mobilizing the youth and women for peace and promoting peaceful coexistence in her village. This engagement not only amplified her voice but also positioned her as a trusted figure within her community.
Through the “Building Resilience in Conflict-Affected and Fragile Communities of Karamoja (BRICK)” project, Lucia accessed a critical opportunity that would change the course of her livelihood. She participated in a cash-for-work initiative, earning UGX 100,000. The cash-for-work initiative aiming to involve the community in establishing the essential infrastructure for water for domestic use and production and community access roads.
Lucia made strategic choices with her earnings. She invested UGX 50,000 in her daughter’s education, paying school fees and purchasing scholastic materials, assuring that the next generation would have access to opportunities she did not have. The remaining UGX 50,000 became the seed capital for a small sorghum trading business.
What began as a small venture quickly showed promise. With discipline and careful management, Lucia began generating consistent profits. Recognising the importance of financial resilience, she joined a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), she met other women with similar resolve. Together they were able to save regularly and built financial confidence following a series of exposure lessons and trainings. Through the group, she later accessed a UGX 100,000 loan, which she used to expand her sorghum business operations.
Today, Lucia runs her enterprise with confidence and growing success. Her income not only supports her household’s basic needs but also contributes to improved stability and dignity for her family. Beyond her economic progress, Lucia’s transformation is social as well. She has become a role model for other women in her community, demonstrating what is possible when women are empowered with the right tools and opportunities.
Her story highlights a broader lesson: sustainable development in fragile contexts requires more than short-term aid.It demands integrated approaches that combine peacebuilding, economic empowerment, and community participation. By linking livelihood support with social cohesion initiatives, the BRICK project is helping women like Lucia not only rebuild their lives but also strengthen their communities' resilience.
Lucia’s journey is a testament to the power of investing in women. With access to even small economic opportunities and supportive community structures, women can transform their circumstances, uplift their families, and contribute meaningfully to local development.
As Lucia continues to grow her business and support her children’s future, her story stands as a compelling example of how resilience, when matched with opportunity, can create lasting change one enterprise, one family, and one community at a time.
The BRICK project is a collaborative project between the Government of Korea, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Ministry of Karamoja Affairs and the District Level Governments of Kotido, Moroto and Kaabong and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project has been running since 2024 with the twin imperative of promoting peaceful co-existence through functional peace infrastructure and peace dividends for cross border communities in Karamoja and facilitating the increase of income for vulnerable households through environmentally friendly livelihoods options and strengthening essential service institutions in three districts of Karamoja sub-region.