Pader, Gulu and Kitgum are the three districts in Northern Uganda which have been victimized by the LRA sponsored war for twenty years. Pader, as one of Uganda's youngest districts and founded in 2001, is the most underserved district in the North, with less infrastructure and fewer services than Gulu and Kitgum districts. It has also been where some of the fiercest violence in the war has taken place. Because of the war, the vast majority of Pader's residents live in IDP camps where hunger, malnutrition, camp-related disease, congested living conditions, polluted drinking water, lack of adequate education and vocational training opportunities and inadequate health services create a desperate situation for most residents. At the same time, as the violence from the war lessens, Pader's IDP camp residents have become increasingly involved in food production, both inside and outside the camps, demonstrating the resiliency and self-determination of Acholi society, and the role of community and district leadership in working to meet the needs.

Since it was founded, Pader has been led and administered by inspiring local and national government leadership. Mr. Edwin Yakobo Komakech, now the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Masinde District, was Pader's first LCV District Chairperson. A veteran headmaster and teacher at Lira Palwo Primary School, who helped to found Lira Palwo Senior Secondary School, Edwin Komakech' focused, savvy and tireless leadership brought major development to Pader while working diligently to vanguard the safety of Pader's residents during this brutal war. As a man who educated many of Pader's children and youth, his heart is with the children and his greatest passion is to see Pader's children and youth become educated and return to normal lives with their families. Under his leadership, a huge amount of development has taken place in Pader in health services, education enrollments, school development, psychosocial supports and community and economic development. Entrepreneurship is flourishing, banking services are now available and Pader's Post Office is about to open.

Likewise, Pader District's Vice Chairman, Mr. Albert Lakomakech, has been a staunch and steadfast advocate for and manager of district development. The Resident District Commissioner and Deputy RDC, Chief Administrative Officer, Director of Health Services, District Education Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Members of Parliaments, other local government, technical and administrative officials, and IDP camp leadership are talented, committed servants who work around the clock to improve the conditions in the IDP camps while working to expand health, education, and community services, economic development and infrastructure of Pader District. It is a difficult job since the war has made local travel, and travel in and out of the district, life threatening. Augmenting government service is the role of community, religious and cultural leadership, combined with the committed work of local, national and international NGO's and community-based organizations.

Groups such as Pader-based Christian Counseling Fellowship (CCF) provide needed services to children affected by conflict, especially former abductees, former child soldiers, orphans and child mothers. Yet the education, counseling, health, vocational training, cultural and other holistic needs of children, women and caregivers affected by conflict are overwhelming. International organizations such as Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Caritas are based in Pader, providing critical medical, health care and day to day services, but the needs of hundreds of thousands of IDP camp residents overshadow their capacity to address the crushing needs of people traumatized by their ordeals.

MSF built a clinic. New buildings are going up and solar power drives an engine pumping drinking water into a tank. A bank provides local financial services. The spirit of development is in the air.

More is needed, however, to address the nutrition, clean water, sanitation and engineering, education, vocational training, entrepreneurship, counseling, health, family planning, reproductive health, arts and culture, sports and recreation and psychosocial needs of people who have been displaced, victimized and severely affected by war. One of the worst features of day to day life is the lack of clean, safe drinking water. Despite the progress in drilling more boreholes, the overflow from latrines seeps into the underground water supplies, contaminating the water with bacteria and fungi. This causes people to become sick. Improved sanitation and drinking water systems are needed. This takes resources.

More regional and international support is needed to provide assistance to Pader District's immediate humanitarian needs, long term development and community building initiatives. Likewise, grassroots, national and international organizations need more capacity and support to fulfill, expand and sustain their commitments. Consider contributing to health, education, planning and development, environmental, sanitation, engineering, vocational training, economic development, technology and other humanitarian and development needs. Consider visiting Pader District and becoming involved.