Background

Diocesan Development Services- North Karamoja (DDS-NK) is a development arm of the Church of Uganda, North Karamoja Diocese which was carved off from the then Church of Uganda, Karamoja Diocese in July 2007. The Diocese is located at the far Northern end of Karamoja region bordering two countries of Kenya in the East and Southern Sudan in the North, and the districts of Kitgum and Pader in the West, Lira in the South West and Moroto in the South. The Diocese comprises of 3 Districts of Kotido, Kaabong and Abim and has a population of about 600,000 which is made up of three main ethnic communities, namely the Jie and Dodoth who are basically pastoral and semi-nomadic with limited agricultural activities due to unreliable rainfall and the Labwor (Thur) who are basically agro-pastoral and more dependent on agricultural production.

The development arm of North Karamoja Diocese which was first called Diocesan Community Development Services (DCDS) before it was later registered in the current name “Diocesan Development Services North Karamoja” (DDS-NK) was established in 2012 after the dissolution of Karamoja Dioceses Development Services (KDDS) which was a joint development programme of both Karamoja and North Karamoja Dioceses and operated from 2008 up to 2012. KDDS was a transition from Karamoja Diocesan Development Office (KDDO) established in 1981 as an umbrella for the various development programmes under Church of Uganda Karamoja Diocese which grew and became the socio-economic development anchor in the whole of Karamoja region covering the then districts of Moroto, Kotido and Kaabong.

Diocesan Development Services-North Karamoja (DDS-NK) is mandated to carry out social services and implement development interventions on behalf of the Diocese in the whole of Northern Karamoja currently comprising the districts of Kotido, Kaabong and Abim. It is using an integrated development approach to provide its services to its target groups, which include community groups of men, women, youth, and vulnerable people such as people living with HIV/AIDS, people living with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children.

Diocesan Development Services (DDS-NK) has three decentralized structures called Zonal Integrated Development Programmes located in all the districts of North Karamoja region, which are coordinated by the Secretariat main office located in Kotido Municipality. The zonal programmes are:

1. Labwor Zonal Integrated Development Programme (LAZIDEP) operates in the Abim district
2. Jie Zonal Integrated Development Programme (JIZIDEP) operates in Kotido district and
3. Dodoth Zonal Integrated Development Programme (DOZIDEP) operates in Kaabong district.