Is Oil and Gas Discovery a Generational Curse? The Plight of Children in Land Compensation Dispossession in Uganda

Abstract

It is estimated globally that a total number of 44,000,400 are internally displaced persons, with women and children constituting over 70% of this. However, limited focus has been put on the growing generation of children that are affected by oil and gas development projects which leave both family and public property dispossessed. The main goal of this paper is to examine the plight of children in a displaced and resettled situation who are partly impacted by the mother's loss of livelihood, and how this predicts the status of the future generation. A phenomenological research design was used to acquire the lived experiences of the women, mothers and children. Focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and direct observation methods were employed to collect data; the research was guided by the principle of confidentiality. It is concretized that when forced dispossession, compensation and resettlement occur, the plight of the children in the form of a normal process of social, natural, and psychological growth becomes aversive. This implies that the future of these children is consequently antagonized by the severe situation of undesirable actions. We recommend designing a policy that considers the plight of these children through comprehensive compensation where reasonable percentages of the benefits are allocated to mothers and other women caretakers. Additionally, ensure resettling all the former infrastructure that benefits children and the entire society, as well as granting children’s proper choices of continuity in the resettlement conditions.