How You Can Light the Way to a Better Life

It is just a small break in a thin wire that trails along the edge of a dusty road. But for thousands of villagers it means their homes never have the glow of a light bulb, the buzz of a radio or the background noise of a television set. This broken cable deprives the people of Katine of a simple resource that saturates most of our lives: electricity.

It has been that way for four years, ever since members of the Lord's Resistance Army cut the overhead wires and sold them for scrap. Whatever government funding has come, it has not been channeled into lighting the district.

Power is necessary for everyone's comfort, but for some, such as doctors and nurses who cannot use the operating theatre in a local health center, it is critical. The Katine Project aims to change things, and already our partner, the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref), is having talks with Uganda's Ministry of Energy and local leaders about restoring it.

For now, most people in Katine village and the surrounding districts have only one chance a week to catch a glimpse of a TV or hear traditional music on market day. Each Tuesday thousands travel many miles and converge on a large clearing at the side of a red, dusty track that cuts through the countryside.

There they socialize among the pots of rice and cassava, old clothes and bottles of juice and alcohol. It is here that Patrick Ogool, 22, makes his living, by turning up each week with his much sought-after car battery.

Last Tuesday he stood in the middle of a crowd, dressed in a bright red T-shirt. His battery was attached to a plug extension surrounded by dozens of mobile phones. For the few villagers who own phones, this was their weekly chance to charge them at the cost of 500 shillings (14p). It was also an opportunity to listen to local music ringing out of speakers, also attached to Ogool's battery, and - another rarity in Katine - the opportunity to get a haircut. With his battery and electric razors, he is one of the area's few barbers.

As he ran a shaver across the head of one local man, a crowd gathered around him, awaiting their turn. But it was not for everyone: some of Katine's older residents were scared about the effect that the device could have on their brains.

Another battery nearby provided another treat: the chance to watch a film. Almost 100 people were crammed into a small, dark building, with mud walls and a low straw roof, sitting shoulder to shoulder along tree trunks laid on the ground. It was easy to miss the attraction: a small screen at the front of the room showing a Jackie Chan film in Chinese with no subtitles. Just watching the images was enough, however. 'One, two,' shouted some young men in time to Chan's punches.

Outside the building lay the battery, attached to a loud generator by rusty crocodile clips. 'People are happy because they have never seen anything like this,' said Isaac Eruma, 28, who collects money for the owner. 'They have never seen a television.'

With Christmas coming closer, many residents are trying to find the money to buy a handful of small batteries so that they can use radios or tape machines at home to play music for dancing.

William Autu, 19, proudly lifted up a bright green plastic box. He switched it on and out came the sound of Christmas tunes. Last week he could afford the three batteries that the machine takes, he said. But quite often, when he like so many others cannot afford them, the music is simply switched off.

How to change lives

Katine, in rural north east Uganda, has 25,000 inhabitants. The average income is less than 50p a day and the region has been devastated by civil war. The Observer and the Guardian have launched an appeal to raise the money needed to transform this community in tandem with the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref) and Barclays Bank. Join the project by making a donation, then follow what happens to your money at observer.co.uk/katine