Many government authorities say some political leaders and social organizations are persuading the poor to move to Kampala. They allegedly lure them with promises of food and money but are used by NGOs to convince foreign donors to give more money to them.
In a bid to reduce the increasing number of street beggars Thousands have been transported by the government with support from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other aid agencies to their region but after a short time they return to the streets and it’s a continuous chain.
According to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Kampala City Council (KCC) about 80 per cent of Kampala's street beggars come from Karamoja.
In many instances, women, particularly mothers have been found to be the key decision makers regarding out-migration. Women often made the decision to leave Karamoja with or without children, often because they were neglected or abused by a male relative or husband.
To women, some of the immediate factors that compel them to move are: loss of livestock, poor harvests, abandonment or death of breadwinners or key family members, and the weakening or collapse of social safety nets.
Those who are abandoned believe that they have no other recourse than to beg in Kampala. Many women become angry when their husband takes a new wife and take themselves and their children away. Others leave the region to escape arranged marriages.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is on the increase in Karamoja according to a report by UNFPA, which states that thousands of girls aged 10-15 are being circumcised and forcefully married off. About 100% of the Pokot girls have undergone FGM exposing them to risks of HIV/AIDS, excessive bleeding and death.
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