Acholi Culture and History

Motorcycle Taxi Stage in Gulu

House to House's headquarters are in Gulu, Uganda. Though there are many tribes in Uganda, a large portion of Gulu is made up of the Acholi people. The Acholi Tribe has just over 1.5 million people who live in the North of Uganda and straddle the border into South Sudan.

The isolation caused by the rebel activity of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) has led Gulu, Kitgum, and Pader districts to be almost entirely populated by this one tribe in contrast to the diversity seen in other regions of Uganda. Gulu district has a population of over 400,000 and is a hub of activity for the Acholi people.

Since the LRA left the region in 2006, there is now a sense of peace in the area. The time for emergency relief and recovery is over, and the time for rebuilding social structures has begun.

As an agricultural society, farmers commute daily from smaller villages to sell their crops in the larger cities. This combined with breaks in the farming seasons leads to lots of travel between villages and major cities throughout the year.

Woman in the Gulu Market selling local brooms

As the gospel expands in Gulu, we envision the gospel following natural relational lines into the villages throughout the region. We believe the gospel will expand from Gulu out to access surrounding areas and countries that have unreached and unengaged people groups.

Our hope is to engage and empower local congregations to reach out to the surrounding regions and tribes.