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Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo- in a green shirt, alongside members of the Roco Paco Initiative during the official launch of the organization’s logo recently. By Proscovia Achomo Gulu City In the wake of decades-long conflict and educational setbacks, the
Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo- in a green shirt, alongside members of the Roco Paco Initiative during the official launch of the organization’s logo recently.
By Proscovia Achomo
Gulu City
In the wake of decades-long conflict and educational setbacks, the Roco Paco- Dero Kwan Initiative is igniting a beacon of hope across the Acholi sub-region. By providing scholarships to 64 bright but vulnerable students, the community-led movement is not only restoring access to education but also rekindling a shared vision for Acholi’s future.
As the initiative launches its second phase of fundraising with a target of UGX 20 billion in different phases, local leaders and citizens alike are being called upon to unite in ensuring that no promising child is left behind.
In the Acoli language, “Dero Kwan” translated as “Basket for Education.” The term reflects a traditional and deeply rooted cultural practice where communities come together to pool resources into one communal basket to support a shared course.
The Dero Kwan Initiative was launched in December 2023 during the Pan-Acoli Convocation at Sir Samuel Baker School in Gulu City. Spearheaded by the Roco Paco Movement, it aims to restore academic excellence and empower children from disadvantaged backgrounds through scholarships.
In its first phase, the initiative raised UGX 350 million, out of the targeted UGX 4 billion shillings which is now supporting 64 students studying across eight schools within the Acholi sub-region. Beneficiaries were selected from all eight Acholi districts, with seven students per district, and two each from Gulu City and Kitgum Municipality.
A total of 34 students in West Acholi have benefited from the Dero Kwan Scholarship—14 from Favour High School, 2 each from Gulu Central High School and Gulu High School, 11 from Bishop Angelo Negri College, and 2 from St. Theresa of Calcutta Secondary School in Omoro District—while 28 students in East Acholi have been admitted under the same program, with 4 each at Archbishop Flynn Secondary School and Kworo High School, and 23 at Rev. Jubuloni Isoke Memorial College in Kitgum municipality.
Behind every statistic is a story of struggle, resilience, and hope. For the students selected in the first phase, the scholarship means more than tuition, it means dignity, opportunity, and a chance to dream again.
Ochora Walter – Gulu District
Walter, now in Senior One at Bishop Angelo Negri College, sat his Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in 2023 at Awoyim Primary School and scored 19 aggregates. However, due to his brother’s battle with sickle cell disease, all available funds went to medical treatment. Walter was forced to repeat Primary Seven in 2024, where he improved to 14 aggregates.
“I thought my dream of becoming a doctor was over,” he said. “But my headteacher believed in me and recommended me for Dero Kwan. Now I’m back in school and determined to make a difference one day,” Ochora added.
Jackline Joan Lamaro – Gulu City.
Jackline who studied from Panykworo Primary School achieved an outstanding score of 10 aggregates in the PLE, emerging as the only pupil to attain a first grade out of 142 candidates. Her success is even more remarkable given the immense hardships she faced. Raised by a single mother in fragile health and with an absent father, Jackline often depended on the support of well-wishers to remain in school. Her resilience and determination are truly inspiring.
“My primary years were hard. Sometimes I would miss school because we couldn’t afford anything,” said Jackline, now in Senior One at Gulu Central High School. “When I got my results, I thought it was over. But Dero Kwan came in at the right time. Now I want to become a surgeon and help others like me.”
These stories are just two among many a testament to what community-led efforts can accomplish when people choose to uplift one another.
At the core of Dero Kwan is the idea that every Acoli person wherever they are can contribute. Leaders are urging even the smallest donations to make a difference.
The Chief Justice of Uganda and Co-Convenor of Roco Paco, Hon. Alfonse Owiny-Dollo Chigamoi, has called on the Acoli people to rise in unity and rally behind education as a powerful catalyst for community transformation. “If we come together with determination and unity,” he said, “even a contribution as small as one thousand shillings per person per year can make a powerful difference. In my own household of seven, I contribute for myself, my spouse, and our children that’s just seven thousand shillings a year. Now ask yourself: can the Acoli people truly fail to raise this amount if we stand together?”
Hon. Owiny-Dollo emphasized that the strength of the Dero Kwan initiative lies in its shared impact across the entire community: “Your contribution won’t only benefit your household. You may be from Adilang, and your donation might support a child in Palabek. That child could one day become a doctor who serves in Kalongo, treating people from all corners of Acholi. This is the beauty of unity, when we uplift one child, we uplift an entire generation.”
He urged all Acoli people to support Dero Kwan wholeheartedly, reminding them that every small act of giving can create a ripple of lasting transformation.
Former UN Under-Secretary-General Ambassador Olara Otunnu, also Co-Convenor of Roco Paco, spoke passionately about protecting Acoli’s intellectual and cultural legacy. “We come from a tradition of brilliance people like Prof. Okot p’Bitek, musician Geoffrey Oryema, Daudi Ochieng, Justice Owiny-Dollo, Col. Walter Ochora, Betty Oyella Bigombe, men and women who shaped Uganda and the world,” he said.
“If we do not educate our children today, we will lose that legacy tomorrow. But through Dero Kwan, we are planting the seeds for the next generation of leaders, doctors, engineers, and poets.”
Florence Amono, a member of the initiative’s implementation committee, explained that the vision is for every household in Acholi to participate: “We are moving door to door, home by home. We know it won’t be easy, but we’re determined to make sure no child is left behind because of poverty,” she said.
Dr. David Onen Otto, Director of Gulu Central High School and Co-Chair of the Dero Kwan Initiative Implementation Committee, has underscored the importance of collective responsibility in transforming education across the Acholi sub-region. He called on every Acoli individual to contribute at least one thousand shillings annually to support vulnerable children in accessing quality education.
“If we truly want to transform our community,” Dr. Onen Otto stated, “we must begin by prioritizing an educational revolution in Acholi. Our region has witnessed a troubling decline in educational standards, this must change.”
He emphasized that the success of the Dero Kwan initiative hinges on a united effort: “The Acoli population exceeds two million. If each individual contributed just one thousand shillings a year, we could raise over two billion shillings. With these funds, we would be able to support thousands of bright, yet vulnerable, children who are currently being left behind due to lack of access to quality education.”
As Dero Kwan enters its second phase, the call remains clear: Let every Acoli person drop something into the basket of education. Together, a brighter, more educated, and more empowered Acholi is not just a dream it’s within reach.
As part of its broader communications strategy, the Roco Paco Secretariat has introduced a newly designed logo and website, aimed at showcasing its key initiatives, ongoing projects, and organizational vision