Uganda Dog Names

Years after the civil war, which saw the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel against the government, many of Uganda’s people still struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is estimated by mental health professionals that seven in 10 people in Northern Uganda were traumatized by the war. Francis Okello Oloya, for example, was blinded by a bomb blast at the age of 12. He found it difficult to ask for help, particularly to get to the bathroom. He noted that there were dogs that started to know that he needed help and they began to do so, making sure he got from his sleeping quarters to the latrine. At 29, he is a community psychologist and his childhood experience resulted in the development of a project involving was he calls comfort dogs.

In Uganda, dogs are mainly used for hunting, with a few people interested in owning dogs at home, usually for security. Okello began collecting street dogs and handed them to guardians with experience training and handling dogs. The Comfort Dog Project was begun by Okello in 2015 to help people in the Gulu town, particularly those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

One of the project’s 29 beneficiaries is Philda Akum, who is 35 years old. In 1997, she and her four brothers were abducted by the LRA and brought to Sudan. One of her brothers was captured and killed after trying to escape. Another brother was chosen to go to the battlefront and was shot dead. Just a few days later her youngest brother died of cholera. The experience led to her being traumatized. After returning home, she began attending group therapy, which led to her getting her dog, Lok Oroma.

Another beneficiary is Lucy Adok, who spent five years fighting in the bush. When she returned home she experienced flashbacks and any loud sound was like a bullet. She took on a dog named Sadiq. Lucy states that she now spends a lot of time with Sadiq and has dreams of their games. She notes that the pup has slowly helped replace the bad memories from the war.

The project is a win-win, with dogs finding homes and their people finding life companions who can help them navigate life after the trauma that they have experienced.