the Humanist view

This morning, as I scrolled on social media, I saw a poster with a prominent photo of Tyrese Gibson heralding the next Coffee Marathon, scheduled for 3^rd October 2026.

I was about to scroll on ahead, and then I saw the subtext:

“Theme: Empowering the Ik community of Karamoja through coffee farming to end poverty.”

Say what?

I instantly felt the need to further educate myself on my fellow Ugandans, the Ik. The Ik (Teuso) are among the 65 first nations of Uganda. as are recognized in the Constitution.

In which case, I imagine, the Ik may not be too pleased to be subjugated to another first nation. They are an independent first nation, not a sub-nation of another first nation.

According to the most recent Uganda population census, conducted in 2024, the Ik number 15,241. Yes, they are a tiny part of Uganda’s population of 45.9 million people; but are an independent first nation.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Uganda’s indigenous communities and their population sizes.

I learnt that the Ik are the original owners of the territory now gazetted Kidepo National Park, land which was forcefully grabbed off of them.

History educates that it was a State-sanctioned landgrab, during the reign of the first Administration of late President Obote. A landgrab that pushed the Ik off their land; destroyed their way of life; and likely the reason for their tiny population current.

I let this fact sink in. State-action disenfranchised the Ik and pushed them to become “the poorest people on planet earth,” as some researchers assert.

The Ik are traditionally hunter-gatherers, co-existing with wildlife, and who supplement their nutrition needs through sedentary cultivation of food crops.

Without dealing with historical injustices against the Ik, is it realistic to believe that the ‘IK Coffee Marathon’, will succeed to “end poverty” among Ik?

Within the meagre territory on which the Ik are forced to live in harsh terrain, on the border of Uganda and Kenya, how will the ‘Ik Coffee Marathon’ “end poverty?”

I am curious to know how this will work out, end poverty among Ik, considering the venue for the ‘Ik Coffee Marathon’ is the Africa Coffee Park in Ntugamo, in Western Uganda, hundreds of miles apart.

Perhaps, after the ‘Ik Coffee Marathon’, the organizers and their ‘star invited guests’ shall take time off to enjoy Kidepo National Park and to deliver the marathon-induced-aid to the Ik while they are at it.

It dawned on me.

I have likely been that tourist, who rolled in a tourist van, onto the outskirts of Kidepo National Park, and engaged in voyeuristic poverty porn. The kind that reinforces the very injustices that are the root cause of poverty among the Ik.

On my tourist trip to Kidepo, I remember wondering why indigenous communities are not integrated as major stakeholders in the running (pun intended) of Kidepo National Park. I wrote on Facebook:

If I was in charge, I would ensure that Lorukul would be a model village to show how national wildlife reserves can viably co-exist with the host communities; and with the latter at the centre and not at the fringe, as a by the way. And I would not allow that “charity type tone” to dominate the interaction between the communities and the tourists. I would make sure that the communities present themselves with pride and dignity throughout.

The more humane and just way in which to “end poverty” among Ik, me thinks. Re-integrate them to take center-stage in all aspects of the ‘Kidepo National Park tourism value chain’.

I am coming from the the reality that about three years ago, or so, when I visited Kidepo National Park, I was absolutely astounded that within the living areas for tourist in the park, owned and managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Ik and their way of life are completely erased.

Yes, the way in which we, in Uganda, and perhaps, world over, have internalized and normalized dehumanizing aspects of the neoliberal economic model makes me uncomfortable and nervous.

I cannot help but think that the ‘Ik Coffee Marathon’ fits within the “commodification of human life” paradigm and in a dehumanizing way.

Sadly, fitting within the general tone of the tourism industry in Uganda. Us, the people, presented to the tourist, in ways to satisfy the visitor’s voyeuristic poverty porn.

This makes me nervous.

Profiled photo of beautiful Ik women @ Africa 101 Last Tribes