Peace, Love and... Camp

This week I found out that I'll be working as a counselor at the 'Peace Camp' being held outside of Gulu in a few weeks. The three local kids that I nominated/applied for the camp have also been accepted as participants. We're excited. I think that it'll be a good experience for all of us.

The Peace Corps sponsored event is aimed to promote peace and reconciliation for war-affected youth in greater northern Uganda. The 80 campers are from 4 different Luo tribes (Acholi, Iteso, Langi, Alur) and are between the ages of 17-25. The camp will focus on counseling, youth empowerment, life skills, sports and art. I'm so grateful that Peace Corps has agreed to sponsor the camp, giving these kids an opportunity to take a break from their usual routines and hopefully have some fun. I also think that it's great for the kids to talk to one another and be provided with some support. I haven't seen psychological services in my area where most of the youth were directly affected by the war (whether they are returned child soldiers, escaped abductees, lost parents or siblings, or where 'born in captivity,' i.e. born in an IDP camp). I'm sure that services were provided at the end of the war, but the effects remain when not a lot of NGOs do. Even though this is only a week-long camp, I hope that it will spur dialogue that the youth can bring back to their communities to share with their peers. 

In case you're not familiar with northern Uganda's history (and I wasn't before I moved here!), here's some background: 

The war in northern Uganda took place from 1986-2006. Over 2 million people in northern Uganda were forced to live in IDP (internally displaced people) camps by the Ugandan government (UPDF). This was done for their safety, to protect them from the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) rebels. In Pader district (where I live), 96% of the population was living in IDP camps in 2006. There was a large camp in my town, right behind the Catholic Mission. 

Because the majority of northern Ugandans are subsistence farmers, living in the camps meant that they couldn't attend to their gardens, leading to malnutrition and threats of starvation (the Ugandan gov't couldn't support the number of people living in the camps). Sanitation in the camps was poor and they were overcrowded, leading to the spread and inefficient treatment of diseases (measles, cholera, malaria, HIV, etc.). Foreign relief was provided, but was often attacked before reaching its destination. Most schools were closed during the fighting.

An estimated 200,000 children were orphaned as a result of the war and 30,000 abducted and enlisted as child soldiers for the LRA. I'm not sure of the total number of people that were killed, maimed, or lost over the 20+ year war, but it was way too many.

Northern Uganda is now peaceful. People have returned to their gardens and the camps are empty and many torn down, but the effects are still evident. Children's schooling has been delayed or stifled completely, land conflicts cause serious problems as refugees resettle, HIV rates remain high (8.3% in age 15-49 yr.-olds in the north), there are many orphaned children, and children as heads of household, domestic violence remains an issue and alcoholism is a serious problem in the villages. 

The other day, a friend of mine in Pajule said, "I didn’t fear during the war. If you wake up in the morning and feel the sun on your face, you just give thanks to God and live another day." I just can't imagine.

The average Ugandan woman has 6.7 children (and I think it's probably even higher in the villages as there's little education around family planning), and without a lot of infrastructure/employment opportunities in the north, a mother often has to choose which child(ren) to send to school. It's a tough situation and I'm so grateful that I've been placed up north to help educate orphaned youth. 

This camp will be another opportunity for me to learn more about the culture and history of northern Uganda and will hopefully provide a positive outlet for kids that don't usually get to have lot of fun.

If you want to learn more about the war in northern Uganda, check out these links:
http://www.irinnews.org/InDepthMain.aspx?InDepthId=23&ReportId=65780
http://www.ugandapeacefoundation.org/content/view/7/