Karamoja Harvest

There was much less drought this year; it's nice to hear that the fruit of this spring's hard rains are now being reaped in Karamoja! Katie writes that the sorghum harvest has been adundant:

there are at least 50 extra people on our compound every day, thrashing, sifting and hauling the grain.

This is good news, as it means far less hunger than in years past. There's one downside: at the celebratory parties, too much drinking often leads to violence. I'm not down on drinking - as Katie also pointed out, the sorghum beer actually has a lot of protein in it - but there's a serious alcohol problem in the villages, and when you have AK-47s lying around, as well as young children or women who can easily be hurt, it's a bad combination. Anyway, I'm glad they're rejoicing over the good harvest; me, too! I'd like to see their dancing...

If you haven't already seen it, National Geographic's September issue is all about Africa. Check it out!