Mr. Johson Stanley Okullo Engole recollects and shared how he remembers the entry of the Uganda Country Programme of Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR Uganda) in to Lango. He did so during a Loro Sub-County Elders Forum that was hosted by CPAR Uganda Ltd at its Loro Base Camp on Tuesday, 15th August 2016. Mr. Engole shared thus:
I actually feel proud that I brought CPAR here. It is true whether anybody wants it or not. The first ever contact CPAR made with Loro was through me. A representative of CPAR, a lady called Beth Fellows, wrote a letter to the late David Atim, may his soul rest in peace, suggesting that they wanted a place in Oyam where they could locate CPAR’s base camp.
Atim looked at Acaba and he couldn’t immediately find a suitable place in Acaba. So he walked to a place where I was working, handed me the letter from Beth, which I read and I assured him that Loro would host CPAR. That was the first contact CPAR had with Loro.
Immediately, I walked to our late brother Dr. Ekullo Epak (RIP), I said Epak, there seems to be some opportunity here. He read the letter and he said: “Yes, I think there is an opportunity here.”
I asked him, can you reply this letter offering Loro to host CPAR? Epak wrote the letter. When he wrote the letter, within two weeks, CPAR responded by saying they are sending a representative to look at Loro.
On a Friday, I was here, all of a sudden I saw Beth with Dr. Rita Laker-Ojok. They arrived here. They looked for me, fished me out and asked: “are you Mr. Engole?” I said yes. They said: “We have come to look at the place which you say you are willing to offer for the base camp of CPAR.”
We had already agreed with Dr. Epak that we should offer this place (the current location of the CPAR Uganda Loro Base Camp), which we had originally earmarked as an open space for Loro. We agreed to reallocate from open space to CPAR base camp.
Also when they (Beth and Rita) found me, we walked down. There was a gentleman called Ewai George at that time he was Cadre Ewai. So we walked together with George to the market, it was a Friday. We announced to the people that we had received visitors from Canada who are willing to come and stay with us here in Loro.
There was ululation, people made dulu, they were very happy. They welcomed CPAR. We gave this land and said CPAR we want you here. We want to see Loro progressing and developing.
They, CPAR, said we will try our best.
As Norah (Ms. Norah Owaraga, CPAR Uganda Managing Director) was saying, the original idea was agro-forestry. Later we suggested that we also have health concerns, we have sanitation concerns and water concerns. These were also incorporated into the plan.
So, CPAR was born in Lango and started working.
CPAR Uganda Ltd 