Africa is an addiction

Seriously... I don't know how to explain it, but you just can't get enough! I've extended my stay in Uganda for another month, who knows from there... Halle, my U.S. Kimeeza II co-coordinator, is hanging around for another week so once we drop the participants at the airport tomorrow we're going to check into a nice hotel for one night for some re-grouping, non-starch food, laundry, 100 warm showers, toilet seats, and high speed internet, oh the things we take for granted sometimes.

The Kimeeza II was formally closed yesterday and today is our last day together in Kampala. It's been amazing watching the impact of the trip on each participant and the connections made between the Americans and the Ugandans. I'm excited to see what everyone ends up doing after this, I think over half are planning on coming back this summer and volunteering for GYPA and GYPA affiliated programs. This has definitely been a rewarding experience and I'm so grateful I have the opportunity to stay and dive into life here a bit more!

What about the girls?

Sometimes people (including myself in the past) forget that not all child soldiers are male. The number of girls who have been abducted in northern Uganda and other regions of conflict is astounding. When abducted they are made into sex slaves as well as fighters. Sister Hellen from an organization called Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate took me with her yesterday to visit their project location. Sister Hellen was abducted in 1994 and, unlike most, was allowed to go after a few hours. Her sister, however, was abducted in in 1990 and did not escape until 2003 having given birth to 3 children in the bush. Sister Hellen began a school in the outskirts of Gulu for the vocational training of formerly abducted women with children (but also includes other women in the community who have given birth and are unable to go to school). The stories the girls have to share are horrific. The atrocities they were forced to commit are difficult to stomach. When they were not being raped, cooking or cleaning they were sent into battle where they would sling their babies infront of their stomachs so that if they were shot from behind, the baby would live. Many of their babies are hearing impaired because their mothers had to fire riffles right next to their ears.

Many of these women are not accepted back into their communities as they are viewed as "rebels". Sister Hellen's vocational school is now building a nursery for the children and their next project will be dormatories. Sister Hellen's upbeat spirit was moving. I've met so many people who were abducted, also those who lost parents or other family members...their positive attitude, determination for peace and incredible capacity to forgive is truly inspirational. True, many horrible things have happened here. However, just as all of my previous experiences in Africa have demonstrated, hope and the human capacity to do good far surpasses the negative.

Canokema David

Today we took the participants to GUSCO Gulu Support the Children Organisation, a rehabiliation center for abducted children who return from the bush. There are only 6 children at the center currently, down from upwards of 300 at any given time 2 years ago. They assume that this means that fewer children are being abducted.

We then went to Paicho IDP Camp, a 40 minute drive from Gulu town. Many people have left the camp since the peace talks began in August, however there are still over 15,000 in that camp alone (and there are many camps) living in horrible conditions. A boy named David came up and walked with me the rest of the day. He was abducted in 2002 and escaped the rebels in 2004. He escaped by running and was shot in the back of his leg. He went through GUSCO (mentioned above) and received amnesty from the government. He carries his amnesty card with him. Unfortunately when he returned, his father, who is in the UPDF (Uganda's military) would not accept him (because he was a "rebel") so he lives in town with an aunt and the government pays for his school fees. All he asked for was my name. I don't think the experience of being in the camp has hit me yet... I would definitely like to spend more time there and see David again...

"What would it take to live as if neighbors, strangers, even enemies are brothers and siters? To always protect women and children and to stand in the onslaught of every moment for something more beautiful than what we now believe in"
-UgandaRising

Uganda January 2007

On January 2nd - 17th I am co-leading GYPA's Global Kimeeza II in Kampala and Gulu Uganda. The theme of the program is: The Role of Youth in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda. Although the 20 year conflict is not yet over, with continued dedication and effort on the part of the Ugandan government, the Southern Sudanese government and the international community, peace will come to northern Uganda. It is crucial the the youth in Uganda and world-wide work together to bring this peace and prepare for the long journey of reconstruction and reconciliation. We will be spending a week in the capitol city of Kampala and a week in Gulu, northern Uganda.