a short update on Gulu -- off to Lira for a few days!
Breakfast is a very slow process at our hotel. But we usually get a nice big meal which is good cause the heat makes you so hungry all the time. People drink a lot of tea here. Its called “African Tea” and tastes like a very milky chai tea. I like it, but with the heat I miss juices and anything cold!
We had a good day yesterday. We went to the board meeting of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative and met the people implementing very important reconciliation projects across the northern region. We’ve been working with them on a peace and conflict news monitoring project. The first report should be up on their website soon!
On our way out, we saw a children’s nursery and noticed that there was also a vocational centre for women. We decided to stop in and learn more about their work and were immediately surrounded by kids. After speaking to the nun running the centre, we saw how committed she was to her work and how concerned she was about the suffering of the women and children she works with. We promised to come every Sunday to play and teach the kids!
The other thing we’ll be doing in addition to the work with the religious leaders peace organization is some work for UNICEF. While we were meeting people from all the different organizations, we had a great conversation with the Child Protection Officer and spoke for a long time more broadly about the UN. She offered us some project work. So we’ll be sure to stay busy with everything we have on our plate now!
Last weekend, we were taken into the field by the vice-chairman of the local committee. We left Gulu Town and visited its surrounded villages. We had some great interviews and filled over 50 surveys. We’ll be doing similar work in another town near Gulu named Lira over the next few days.
One thing we’re especially excited about will be to learn more about the local defence units that became very important at the end of the war. With the Ugandan Army struggling to protect the entire Northern Ugandan area, they mobilized youth and adults to fight in local militias. What is especially interesting is how little attention and sympathy the children who fought with these units received. We’ve also heard that many of these militias took advantage of their new-found power to abuse civilians. However, since the units played such an important role in driving the LRA out of Uganda, their abuses seem to have been largely swept aside and there remains very little documentation about their role and how they were received by their communities. We’ll be trying to learn more about the topic during our time in Lira!
Missing everyone - hope you all had a great long weekend!!
- Sima
We had a good day yesterday. We went to the board meeting of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative and met the people implementing very important reconciliation projects across the northern region. We’ve been working with them on a peace and conflict news monitoring project. The first report should be up on their website soon!
On our way out, we saw a children’s nursery and noticed that there was also a vocational centre for women. We decided to stop in and learn more about their work and were immediately surrounded by kids. After speaking to the nun running the centre, we saw how committed she was to her work and how concerned she was about the suffering of the women and children she works with. We promised to come every Sunday to play and teach the kids!
The other thing we’ll be doing in addition to the work with the religious leaders peace organization is some work for UNICEF. While we were meeting people from all the different organizations, we had a great conversation with the Child Protection Officer and spoke for a long time more broadly about the UN. She offered us some project work. So we’ll be sure to stay busy with everything we have on our plate now!
Last weekend, we were taken into the field by the vice-chairman of the local committee. We left Gulu Town and visited its surrounded villages. We had some great interviews and filled over 50 surveys. We’ll be doing similar work in another town near Gulu named Lira over the next few days.
One thing we’re especially excited about will be to learn more about the local defence units that became very important at the end of the war. With the Ugandan Army struggling to protect the entire Northern Ugandan area, they mobilized youth and adults to fight in local militias. What is especially interesting is how little attention and sympathy the children who fought with these units received. We’ve also heard that many of these militias took advantage of their new-found power to abuse civilians. However, since the units played such an important role in driving the LRA out of Uganda, their abuses seem to have been largely swept aside and there remains very little documentation about their role and how they were received by their communities. We’ll be trying to learn more about the topic during our time in Lira!
Missing everyone - hope you all had a great long weekend!!
- Sima
Thanks for the update. History lessons are valuable.
ReplyDeleteBe safe on your travels. Pictures would be nice too so we can see you and some scenery.
You seem to have found your stride!
Keep up the good work.
Hi all
ReplyDeletejust catching up on your journey.Keep up the good work and let us know what fills your days.
have fun
yves