Rose Lamwata (Lamwata means - rather tragically - "Deserted") takes care of ten of her own children, and one from her husband's second wife. She has lost two children, one to malaria and one to meningitis. One of her children is dumb and cannot speak.
Her husband - who use to sell coal for a living - has spent the last year or so going in and out of hospital. The doctors are unsure what caused it (Rose believe it was an African curse), but it has left both of his legs paralyzed and he is unable to earn an income.
In 2001, the LRA invaded Rose's village. They told the villagers that they were no longer welcome here, torched the village and left with the livestock. Mercifully, no one was killed and no one was kidnapped.
Rose and her family were forced to move to an IDP camp (Internally Displaced Person camp) before moving to the main settlement in Kitgum. She still returns to her destroyed village every now and then and plants some crops in the hope that she can make a permanent return.
Rose's uncle and his wife were not so lucky. Ten years ago, they were both beaten to death by the LRA and their two children kidnapped. Rose later learnt that both of her uncle's children had stepped on landmines and been killed. The bodies were never recovered.
Acholi tradition dictates that you must be buried in your village of birth. Rose managed a quick burial for her uncle and his wife before fleeing to safety. Lingering in the village is not wise as the LRA often take advantage of the burial tradition to target even more people.
The UN sponsored World Food Program (WFP) provides her with cowpeas, maize and some beans. It is not enough though and Rose picks up casual labour when she can. She cuts grass, breaks rocks and buys vegetables from other locals and then sells them at a profit.
She hopes that the current peace talks will succeed and she can return to her village and begin farming again.
She also hopes that she makes enough money through the Meaningful Shop to adequately feed her family and send all of her children to school.