Ordinary people in northern Uganda participate in informal settings on a daily basis, away from the gaze of those in power. Informal settings allow people to speak their minds with their friends and family, exploring the legitimacy, potential, and power of their concerns.
Since the early 2000s, Uganda has placed an emphasis on bottom-up development by NGO’s and microfinance. The ‘people-centred’ approach to poverty alleviation and community development allows active participation and self-determination absent in the traditional market and state top-down models that discouraged popular participation and alienated citizens.