My second trip to the beautiful Karamoja region

Stella Romana Airoldi (founder of 22Stars) traveled to Karamoja for the second time in one year and this tour she brought along her parents.

 

This was my second visit to this beautiful region. Karamoja lies in the North East of Uganda. Last year it was still considered a “red zone” but since this year it is green.

However a lot of information about this region is still extremely outdated. Because of cattle fights and everyone carrying a K47 around this used to be a dangerous region to be. But since 2011 the region got disarmed and this is still definitely Uganda’s best kept secret. I highly recommend to visit it!

“The people here are extremely warm, welcoming and curious. They live in a very traditional way in which cattle plays a very important role. Most children do not go to school, but learn first when they are toddlers to take care of sheep, then when they are able to handle that, the goats, and then the cows. After that some of the boys would start school when they are 12.”

Many Karimojong are nomads, because of extreme drought by times, they need to keep moving to find water and food. We slept in a local kraal where the people showed us how to make yogurt from cow milk and urine and their daily meal which consisted of cow blood mixed with cow milk and a local brew similar to beer.

Besides visiting local villages and kraal there is way more things to do here, like mountain hiking, biking etc. If you like to visit this region too, I highly recommend that you contact Theo Vos from Kara Tunga!

We visited the village of Thomas where we got a very warm welcome. It was very interesting to exchange experiences, stories and culture. The people kept asking me to take their picture. Trying to look as serious as possible, but once I showed them the pictures laughs and giggles where all over. Here you see some Portraits of the people I took.

We were staying with the Karamojong in a kraal. Was very interesting to see how they live and exchange experiences. In the evening they were preparing their meal. Blood of the cow mixed with milk, some kind of yogurt mixed with urine and the local brew. After dinner they were singing and we watched 5000 stars at night!

I see in the distance our rooftop tent. I was sitting on a tree trunk for few hours, but my but hurted so now I am on the ground. The people are seeing about their bulls they lost in a raide… And the peace that came to this place.. and the green grass and the cows. My phone cannot show you all that just the sound. Please come to uganda and experience yourself!

(check video) The most beautiful sky full with stars. At least 5000. They sky is grey and the silouite of all people is black. I see in the distance our rooftop tent. I was sitting on a tree trunk for few hours, but my but hurted so now I am on the ground. The people are seeing about their bulls they lost in a raide… And the peace that came to this place.. and the green grass and the cows. My phone cannot show you all that just the sound. Please come to uganda and experience yourself! For now check my FB/Instagram stories..

Local dinner with the Karamojong; they drain blood from a cow and mix it with it’s milk. Bon appetit. That’s why they are all super tall and strong. I sticked myself to some nice rice, ciabbati, beans, cabbage and beef stew especialy cooked for us by our local chef cook from Kara Tunga.

Visiting a village in Karamoja! ? Super interesting. People live here super traditional. So the kids learn first to take care of the sheep when they are toddlers. Then they start taking care of the goats and then the cows. Then when they tirn 12 a few boys will be send to school where they learn English. The girls stay home since they will get married and the family will get many cows for them. Then a girl has just one husband. But then the men have many wives, also because they are way more women then men here. Since many men were killed during the cattle fights. Only from 2005 till 2011 the people got disarmed and now this place here got safe. Before that people got killed everyday. Tomorrow we will go to the cow market

Good morning! Woke up with these little ones next to my tent looking at me and my messy blondish hair.

Street life in Karamoja in Uganda. Everything here is about cows. If a man wants to get married he has to pay about 100 cows to the parents of his future wife. The richer he is, the more wives he can afford. The only women we saw on the cow market came from Kenya (by foot) since over there it’s the girls taking care of the cattle. But in Karamoja it’s the job of the men. The women stay at home and cook.

Some Karamojong swag. Love the fashion over there! They wear anklets and bracelets out of car tyres which apparently keep insects away. Men wear interesting earrings and also necklaces and of course a colourful hat with feather, preferably a oistrich feather and they wear a “masaai” blanket as skirt or around their wrest if they are older. The women wear many different colours of beads, all with a different meaning and a skirt made out of different parts of the sheet.

love the evening sun here and dusty red roads! In Karamoja the little kids learn first to take care of the sheep, then the goats and then the cows. When they are 12 years old and are able to take care of the cows some of them (mostly boys) will be send to school. But it’s more important here to learn how to to take care of a big cattle.

 

Bye bye! Omg I have tons of videos and pictures to edit from the last week and could write a tons of stories.. hope to find some time for it! We visited a village in Karamoja! Super interesting. People live here super traditional. So the kids learn first to take care of the sheep when they are toddlers. Then they start taking care of the goats and then the cows. Then when they turn 12 a few boys will be send to school where they learn English. The girls stay home since they will get married and the family will get many cows for them. Then a girl has just one husband. But then the men have many wives, also because they are way more women then men here. Since many men were killed during the cattle fights. Only from 2005 till 2011 the people got disarmed and now this place here got safe. Today we will go to the cow market do a nature walk and sleep in a kraal. Stay tuned!

Read the original testimonial on Stella’s Facebook page.