Fieldwork was carried out in Northern Uganda, specifically Gulu and Amuru Districts, which were at the core of the conflict. A triangulated approach was used involving in- depth interviews with formerly abducted child mothers, focus groups, key informant
interviews and a review of pertinent documents. Data collection was aided by a semi- structured interview guide to ensure that the main issues were addressed without stifling the free flow of thought of the interviewees. How the FACM make sense of their experiences and their world was elicited through analysing their narratives (Murray, 2008). Where possible interviews were recorded and detailed memos were kept about the proceedings (Flick, 2009; Corbin and Straus, 2008). The detailed memos added width to the analysis and enhanced the process of reflection and reflexivity while the digital recordings ensured that all interviews and discussions were captured verbatim to enhance accuracy and reliability of data.
Identification and Selection of Participants
Criteria were developed to guide the selection of the research participants. The criteria were the length of stay in rebel captivity; having children while in rebel captivity or shortly on return (but having conceived in the bush); and the duration of life in the community (post-reunion life). The study involved mothers who had at least one child and had been resettled within the community for a period of more than three years. The time frame of three years was thought to be reasonable for interactions between the community and the FACM. Similarly, three years is time long enough for implementation of medium-term reintegration interventions in the community. In analysing the impact of interventions on the lives of the FACM however, I have considered a period longer than this. Only young women who lived within Gulu and Amuru districts were included. At a practical level, I identified research participants using community-based resource persons working with agencies supporting rehabilitation, resettlement and integration of the children affected by armed conflict.
The Sampling Procedure
Twenty one (21) FACM (aged 20-27 years) were interviewed. Of these, fifteen were supported by psychosocial agencies in resettlement and six were young women who went directly to the community on escaping the rebel clutches. This latter group of young women were thus not actively supported by psychosocial agencies at the initial return period. Key informant interviews were held with seventeen staff of NGOs working in the areas including the Focal Person for Child Protection in the Gulu District administration and other community leaders. Seven focus groups were held with community members to elicit their views on the rehabilitation, resettlement and reintegration process.
While this is not a grounded theory study, a grounded theory method of sampling was used in reaching a saturation point decision20. While I sampled purposively in identifying and selecting the research participants, I borrowed from grounded theory in determining the point at which I thought saturation point was reached. While initially, a semi- structured narrative guide was developed to elicit information and provide a framework for narratives by the FACM; this was only developed as a guide. During the interview with the FACM, a number of issues which kept on emerging were followed up progressively. These were issues pertaining to both the abduction lives, post-abduction situations and experiences of the FACM. Critical events and experiences and what their meanings were for the young women were explored with the subsequent participants and key informants. These were narrowed down until no new issues emerged and the interviews were wound up.
The Narrative Interview
I have relied substantively on the narrative interviews in talking to the formerly abducted young mothers. This involved giving the young mothers enough time to talk about their experiences with the rebels. The narrative started from the abduction point, continued throughout their lives in the bush (captivity) right through to return and reintegration including, experiences in the RRC and the community. However, I was aware of the limitations of the narrative interview especially its inability to depict contextual factors (Flick 2006). I thus adapted the tool to go beyond narratives to also explore perceptions about the community and issues affecting the environment. Hence the episodic interview (Flick 2006) and narrative method were flexible with probing and guided discussion also being used to obtain information.
In interrogating the experiences of the young women in the bush, I was mindful and cognisant of the gendered power relations coming into play (Reinharz, 1992). I was also aware and mindful of my own personal prejudices and how these might inadvertently creep into my interpretation of what the young women were narrating. To reduce the influence that I, as male researcher had on the research process, I empathised but at the same time maintained my self-awareness so as not to get emotionally involved with the research participants. I therefore limited probing and interview questions only to those
20 I recognise however, that this is not the only method and approach to reaching saturation in qualitative
relevant situations and points. Reflecting the diversity and uniqueness of the experience of the young women, some of the interviews lasted a short time (45 minutes) and others took about two and half hours.
However, some of the interviews were prolonged simply because the child mothers became emotionally distressed during the interview (in the process of recounting their experiences) and had to be given time to recollect themselves. The levels of emotion shown by the women in recounting their experiences enabled me to understand how deeply ingrained and traumatising the experiences were for them. Some of the young women were recounting experiences that had happened as long as five years earlier however in the unfolding of events and the visibility of the emotion displayed, it seemed as if they had happened only a few days earlier.
What also captivated me during the data collection process was the flow of the individual stories of these young women. The participants were able to recount the key events in their bush experiences, right from abduction, quite methodically. The smoothness with
which the story was told was very inspiring. I was captivated by the young women‘s
ability to remember the key events that happened in their lives in the bush coherently. This perhaps indicates the level of confidence of the FACM and significance of the unfolding events in their post-reunion lives. It could also explain how ingrained and deleterious these events were in the lives of the young women. Narratives began with an introduction which explained the abduction experience followed by the main body of the story which included the experience in the bush with its wide array of critical and deeply disturbing events, the factors triggering escape or release, return and the events that happened after return. The young women also talked about the support processes in the RRC (for those that passed through them) and experiences within their communities.
In most of the interviews it was when the young women had finished narrating their abduction experiences that the discussion shifted to describing the current state and prevailing circumstances in the areas where the young women are domiciled: at this point the interview took an episodic form and a rich array of information was collected. The combination of the narrative and episodic interviews was thus appropriate to the study.
In-depth Interviews with Key informants
In deepening the understanding of the information from the primary participants in the study (FACM), several key informant interviews (seventeen) were held. Key informants were purposively selected based on their line of responsibility in respect to the FACM and included local leaders, NGO staff and relevant district departmental staff working for children affected by armed conflict or in charge of their welfare. Interviews were held with the Manager of Community Services in Gulu District, the Focal Point Person for Child Protection for Gulu District, the Gender Officer for Gulu District, the Community Development Officer for Alero sub-county in Amuru District, Project Officer for Concerned Parents Association (CPA) in Gulu and Amuru districts, the Reception Centre Administrator, GUSCO and two other field officers from the same organisation. Further interviews were held with the Regional Advocacy Manager for Marie Stopes - Uganda, Northern region office, the Programme Manager and Project Officer - Ker Kal Kwaro Acholi and the Psychosocial Support Advisor World Vision Uganda, Gulu and Amuru. Other key informants interviewed included staff of Trans-cultural Psychosocial Organisation (TPO) Uganda and the Director of Programme for ACORD Uganda, district planners and cultural leaders. Key informant interviews helped in exploring the resources in place to support reintegration and also in validating and contextualising the experiences of the young women. Key informants were also helpful in providing first hand information on the applicability of the policies at the local levels and the resources in place to support the reintegration process.
Focus Group Discussions and their Significance to the Research Process
Any study exploring the lived experiences of children and young women might need to also explore the perceptions of the community that interacts with them about how they visualise their relationships with the target participants. Being aware of the complexities involved in understanding the experiences of formerly abducted girl children, it was deemed relevant to utilise a focus group to elicit community views and perceptions about the reintegration experiences of the formerly abducted child mothers. This method was appropriate because it provided opportunities for the experiences of the young women to be contextualised and where possible for certain positions to be elaborated on or validated.
Focus groups were conducted with local community leaders, religious leaders, members of the Child Protection Committees (CPCs), and most importantly members of the community, including parents. The youth also played a critical part in the focus group discussions because they are the most immediate peers of the formerly abducted child mothers. It was thus imperative to listen to their perspectives regarding their relationships with the FACM and how they perceive the reintegration initiatives and support networks and systems in place.
In selecting and recruiting members of the focus groups my consideration was drawn to the role played in the lives of the FACM. Focus group participants were therefore people who had a direct relationship or interaction with the FACM; people they interact with on a day to day basis such as their peers and workmates in the markets. As such the parents and or official guardians of the young women were also considered as participants in the focus groups.
Local leaders also formed another important category for the focus groups. It should be pointed out that local leaders interact with the FACM especially in cases where the children of the child mothers get into any conflict with other community children; they always arbitrate. This is especially the case when it involves usage of abusive language against the children born in captivity (CBCs) or against the child mothers themselves. If the family cannot resolve an issue using intra and/or inter-family approaches, the services of local leaders has always been sought. For example, in the focus group discussion held at Alero sub county headquarters in Amuru district, the community development officer, two parish chiefs, and representatives of local community based organisations and other international organisations were also party to the discussion. In Lalogi sub-county the focus group comprised of the chairman LCIII of the sub county21, a representative of Save the Children in Uganda, and the community-based child protection committee (CPC) members. The CPC is a structure initiated by UNICEF and the key stakeholders in child protection within Acholi and Lango sub-region with the all important brief of monitoring child abuse and reporting to the local government through the sub-county. Their selection to participate in the focus groups was also based on their probable interactions with the research participants.
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In conducting the focus group discussions, the researcher began by introducing the issues for description to the participants. Ground rules were set and efforts made to ensure that participation of each and every group member was attained. Theoretically, the focus group method is an appropriate data collection tool in feminist leaning research and
researching children and young people‘s life experiences since it has potential to bring
out the gendered power imbalances as it provides opportunities for research participants to express their opinions and perspectives without any fear of recrimination (see Harding 1997). The views expressed belong to the group, not to individuals who make up the group. Focus groups are also appropriate in a context where mobilising participants will not be difficult, laborious or a time consuming activity. These were factors which suited the study.
Documentary Review
Review and analysis of secondary data formed a very important part of the current study. Information about intervention activities and resources in place for reintegration exist in written texts and reports of actors that are involved in psychosocial programming activities in northern Uganda. A number of annual reviews of programmes, midterm review reports of interventions and end of project evaluations of PSS agencies, policies and laws were reviewed to capture the interventions in place for children affected by armed conflict. The critical issue in arriving at an understanding of interventions was the comparison of the information as documented and perceptions of key informants and the community including the child mothers about the efficacy of the interventions and the legislation in place. This also provided a better understanding of the context and how it has changed over the years.