Gulu, Uganda

I have been posting about a few experiences I’m having, yet I haven’t really explained why I’m here in Gulu. Nor have I told you about the history of the region. {I know you probably didn’t look it up.} Uganda, especially in the region described as the ‘Greater North’ was in conflict for about two decades. And although it may be gun silent now, it’s still having some serious recovery. The conflict was going on just about as long as I’ve been alive, since mid 1980’s. There are exact dates and exact people, but I’m terrible about remembering dates and they aren’t much fun to read about.
We’ve all heard or read about terrible atrocities happening during war times. Think of those and multiply it by 20 years. There were rebel fighters and government fighters. Who was the ‘good’ guy and who was the ‘bad’ guy? The lines are a little fuzzy. The original definition of ‘good’ guy and ‘bad’ guy doesn’t really fit this situation. Sometimes it was the rebels doing the raids and looting with rape and killing, but sometimes it was the government soldiers. People were forced to leave their homes and taken to encampments, which was basically prison. They lived almost on top of each other. That left them with no space for their farming or living. It also made for some really bad sanitary conditions. Bad sanitary living leads to continuous sickness, deaths, etc. It reduced them to redundancy. They did nothing most of the day which was very different from the farming and busy lifestyles they had led before.
Children were abducted regularly by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) who is considered to be the rebels. It got to a point where children outside of town would walk (some kids over 12 kilometers) into town each night and then return home every morning. They were called ‘night commuters.’ It was children from ages 8-15 that were abducted more often, and usually from their homes in the night. So they would travel to town each night to ‘stay safe’. They would sleep outside on verandas, sidewalks, anywhere they could find. That’s a long, dusty, hard journey and then sleeping unsafe and uncomfortable. They did this for almost six years. Many of you may have heard about that.
When these children were abducted, they were turned into child soldiers, wives of soldiers, and were tortured, beaten, raped, forced to kill even their families. I was given the opportunity to meet a guy that was abducted as a child and became a soldier, even an assistant to the top commanders. I also met two women who were young when they were abducted by soldiers, forced as their wives and even had multiple children while in captivity. It’s a heartbreaking story to hear what they went through. The experience, the pain, the trauma, and the trials are awful. But these women are moving forward, working through feelings/troubles and making their lives and lives of others better. One woman, a wife of Joseph Kony while in captivity, was not accepted by her brothers (her only living relatives) when she was released because of the children she had. So she had no one for support when she came back and has had to make it on her own. She has done well and is the leader of a women’s group where they work together to heal from the war and move forward in their individual lives. Another woman has recently graduated and progressing as well. These are great stories. Sadly, not everyone has success stories like these. There are many jobless, homeless, unhealthy people. Some even have bullets still in them and no hope of ever getting it removed.
The Gulu Study and Service Abroad Program (GSSAP) is just what it says. We are here to study and serve the people of Gulu. We are a group of nine students and each are serving at different organizations. I’m at Laroo Pece Women’s Association (LAPEWA); a couple students are at St. Jude’s orphanage; one student at PACTA (an alcohol treatment program); another at Girls’ Kick-It (girls/young women’s empowerment through sports program); TAKS Art Center; and other locations. We are each serving in different ways and learning quite a bit in the process. I am so glad that I was informed about this program and have been given an opportunity to be a part. I am learning so much. I hope I can be of service to these people I am learning to love and admire. I hope that I can have more experiences like this in life.


Associated Links: (some are Wikipedia, which aren't proven factual, but it gives you an idea)
LAPEWA
Dateline article on Night Commuters
GSSAP Blog
GSSAP program
PAKTA
Girls Kick It
TAKS
Lord's Resistance Army