Born in 1986 amidst the tumult of Uganda’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) takeover and the rise of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Grace Anena’s life has been one marked by survival and resilience. Her ancestral home near Pabbo in today’s Amuru district, Acholi sub-region, bore the brunt of the LRA insurgency, leaving her family of subsistence farmers caught between relentless confrontations.
In 2002, at the age of 16, Grace’s schooling at Keyo Primary School was abruptly cut short when she was abducted by LRA rebels and forced into marriage with a soldier. For three years, she endured the harrowing jungles with her captors, bore a son, and suffered injuries from crossfire. Her eventual rescue by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) was only the beginning of her recovery.
With bullet wounds on her leg that left her mobility impaired, Grace spent months under medical care before joining a Child of War Centre managed by World Vision. There, she was introduced to tailoring skills but found herself physically unable to operate a sewing machine.
Undeterred, she focused on rebuilding her life, marrying a fellow former abductee and transitioning to subsistence farming near St. Mauritz Catholic Mission. The couple raised goats and chickens, cultivated staples like cassava and groundnuts, and leveraged her husband’s driving skills to eventually secure a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) on hire purchase.
Turning the Tide with Soap-Making
For Grace, true transformation began when she heard a radio announcement from Gulu Women Economic Development and Globalisation (GWEDG) about capacity-building programs. She enrolled in a soap-making initiative facilitated by the Innovation Village, drawn to the accessibility of raw materials and the potential to sell her products locally.
With determination and guidance, Grace learned the craft of making liquid soap using basic ingredients such as sulphonic acid, caustic soda, and urea—all available in Gulu’s local shops. Water, another key component, was in ample supply thanks to a nearby borehole.
With her homemade equipment—a basin, a long wooden stirring stick, and jerrycans for packaging—Grace created her brand, “Lubanga Matwero” a local word for (God Knows). She packaged her soap in measures ranging from small, recycled bottles to larger containers of up to 20 litres. Selling her products at UGX 10,000 for 5 litres, UGX 20,000 for 10 litres, and UGX 40,000 for 20 litres, Grace secured a steady income.
GWEDG together with the Innovation Village provided reliable market platforms for her larger quantities of products, while she personally distributed smaller packages in her community, despite the challenges of her disability.
Grace takes pride in her branded record books, which demonstrate the profitability of her venture. But for her, the rewards go beyond financial gain. “Apart from the profits, I have now achieved community recognition for providing a service,” she says. Her liquid soap has become a staple for cleaning floors, utensils, and other household tasks, filling a gap in her community and enhancing her sense of purpose.
A Light in the Darkness
Grace’s story is emblematic of the broader struggles faced by former war victims in northern Uganda’s post-conflict recovery impact. During that period over 30,000 children were abducted by the LRA, according to ActionAid Uganda, subjected to unspeakable atrocities, and left grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and socioeconomic alienation.
For most rehabilitation has been a long, complex, and costly process, marked by frustrations and setbacks. Economic statistics paint a stark picture of the region’s struggles. The Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) of 2016/17 and 2019/20 reported that while national consumption per capita grew modestly, northern Uganda experienced a decline, with subsistence farming rising from 31.6% to 40% in the Acholi subregion.
Yet stories like Grace’s highlight the potential for survivors to rise above their circumstances. Amid these challenges, Grace’s narrative stands as a beacon of hope, demonstrating how skills training and community-driven initiatives can help individuals transition from subsistence to sustainable livelihoods.
Her ability to transition from a war victim to a subsistence farmer then a small-scale entrepreneur is a testament to the power of resilience and targeted capacity-building initiatives.
As northern Uganda continues to grapple with post-conflict reconstruction and deep economic disparities, Grace Anena’s journey serves as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of grassroots empowerment. Her resilience demonstrates how investing in individual capacities can rebuild lives, inspire others, and catalyze social and economic change. No longer defined solely as a war survivor, Grace has become a mother, a businesswoman, and a beacon of hope for her community. While her scars narrate a history of pain, her life now embodies courage, determination, and the promise of a brighter future.
