My name Akello in Luo means the girl who was born after the mother had twins.

My grandmother told me that the name Akello is special. Akello brings peace after noise, calm after the struggle of two babies at once.

I am a tailor.

My real peace is in cooking. I like to make the traditional dishes from my cultural heritage.

My favorite one is pasted boo (cowpeas leaves cooked in groundnuts sauce).

Cowpeas leaves cooked in groundnuts sauce and served with millet ugali.

People think tailoring and cooking are different, but for me they are the same.

As a tailor, I take different pieces of cloth and stitch them into a beautiful dress.

As a cook, I pick boo, those greed leaves, wash them, pound groundnuts, add atigo (bush okra) and I blind them together into a rich sauce.

When I serve pasted boo with maize ugali or millet ugali, I sit quietly and enjoy eating my fabulous meal.

It is jus like it is after the twins, there is calm.

I am Akello. I am the calm after. I stich things together with thread and with food.

I am an Acholi, of Koch Kal Clan of Payera Chiefdom. My ancestral home is in Paicho Sub-County in Gulu District.

I applied to attend the CPAR Participatory Action Research Writing Masterclass to acquire skills on how I can identify problems in my community and come up with possible solutions.

After the 11 days of training, I am now able to confidently raise the voice of my community through writing policy briefs. Clearly stating the problem, to whom I address it and the reason why.

I have learnt how to write a story basing on real characters and actual people in my community. Doing so in a way that amplifies their voices to reach the relevant authorities.

I never used to value social media.

Through the CPAR Research Writing Masterclass, I got to know the importance of social media. As one of the ways that I can send out important messagess and reach a wide range of people.

I am excited to put my learning to work and I am delighted of the opportunity to be a contributor on the CPAR Uganda blog.

Akello Lucy is a beneficiary of the Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Centre Human Development Project, jointly implemented by CPAR Uganda and Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR). She was among the successful applicants who participated in the CPAR Participatory Action Research Writing Masterclass. Akello also prior applied for and was selected to participate in the CPAR Research Masterclass. And prior she participated in a series of training sessions for Self-Reliant Participatory Development Change Agents in Income Generation and in Business Capital. She is the project valedictorian and whom CPAR Uganda has retained to work as a full-time paid staff member – currently the Project Assistant at CPAR Uganda Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Centre in Lira City.