The Contribution of Cultural Institutions in the Social Reintegration of the Formerly Abducted Young Mothers in Post-Conflict Kitgum-Uganda
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies
Abstract
The use of children as soldiers has been a feature of armed conflicts worldwide. Formerly abducted young mothers (FAYMs) are part of the child soldiers. They are the girls who were abducted and forcefully conscripted by the Ugandan rebel outfit, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda in the two decade years’ war (1986-2006) against the government of Uganda. The girls were not only forced to marry and bear children to their abductors, but they were also forced to commit atrocities against their own communities. As they return to their communities are being rejected and discriminated against. Studies have shown that there has been less focus on the role of cultural institution in social reintegration of the formerly abducted young mothers (FAYMs). The focus of this article is on the critical significance and potency of those cultural practices. Using phenomenology research design, guided by interpretivism paradigm, we have relied on individual in-depth interviews from the cultural leaders, the narratives from the formerly abducted young mothers (FAYMs) and key informant interviews from social workers and local leaders to obtain data. Findings reveal that ritual cleansing ceremonies are highly regarded in facilitating social reintegration of the FAYMs. Despite the impact of war on operations of the cultural institution, cultural leaders still play a vital role in mediating between the formerly abducted young mothers and their communities to enable peaceful co-existence and social reintegration. The cultural leaders perform ritual cleansing ceremonies that are considered vital for the formerly abducted young mothers’ social reintegration
Description
Keywords
Formerly abducted young mothers, Acholi cultural institution, social reintegration
Citation
Mlahagwa, W & Muriisa, R. K. (2022). The Contribution of Cultural Institutions in the Social Reintegration of the Formerly Abducted Young Mothers in Post-Conflict Kitgum-Uganda. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 6(11), 157- 174.