描述A handful of hope in Gulu, northern Uganda (6721454911).jpg
Bicentina Auma, chairperson of a small farmer's co-operative in the Northern Region of Uganda, holds a handful of harvested finger millet.
Bicente's co-operative, Ateklu Ba (Powerful with God), has been given a small plot of land to farm by Christopher Lutara, who is benefitting from a private sector grant from UK aid, as part of the Northern Uganda Recovery Programme. The whole programme is designed to help the area's people and economy recover from the ravages of a 20 year war.
"I am very grateful to Chris," says Bicente. "Since he came, life has changed. I can now afford to send my children to school."
UK aid is supporting the recovery of the region with a five year programme that has helped 10,000 vulnerable people to return home, provided vocational training for 4,000 young people who missed out on education, and is providing match-funding for the private sector to help kick-start the local economy.