Gulu

We spent 4 nights in Gulu, in northern Uganda, a little while ago. Northern Uganda is very beautiful, relatively quiet and the air is clear; it was a welcome change from Kampala.

Our main reason for visiting Gulu, was to witness the work of Watoto's trauma rehabilitation team and their work with the IDP (Internally Displace People) community. The IDP camps were created so the government could control the Acholi people when Joseph Kony was rampaging through the area. There is a lot of bitterness and hurt among these communities. Although the people are now free to leave, many of them stay in or frequently return to the camps. The infrastructure of the camps, including schools and clinics, makes many feel, "this is where life is".

The Watoto trauma team go to these camps and run two-week courses. The first week is about psychoeducation and teaching people how to forgive build their lives again. The second week is only for people who indicated in the first week that they wanted to know Jesus personally and it focuses on developing that relationship further.

One day of our visit, we went up with the trauma team to one of these IDP camps to witness the last day of the second part of the course. The Watoto team gave out Bibles and encouraged them to continue meeting together. The people at this particular camp had been especially eager to have Bibles. They wanted them more than any other material thing, so it was a great privilege to be there when they received them with such excitement ("Ieieieieieieieieieeee!").

The people who had been through both weeks of the course then told stories of how their lives had changed. Then, some of them wanted to sing and dance, so they did.

Afterwards, we got to play with some of the children. Jordan swung them around and Julie showed them pictures of themselves. There were many giggles all around.

Everybody had a great time, which is cool considering we couldn't understand each other's language.

 

While in Gulu, we took the opportunity to explore Watoto's ministries up there. We got to visit the church, the babies home, the children's village and Living Hope, where marginalised women (usually AIDS widows or LRA escapees) are taken in and taught how to make cool stuff to sell, how to read and write and how to responsibly deal with the trauma they have experienced.

Setting off in the evening rain with some fellow volunteers. We were trying to find some boda-bodas to take us out for a last dinner together. Boda-bodas are motorcyle transport. Watoto volunteers are forbidden to use them in the big city but, in Gulu, the roads are quiet, the drivers slower, and boda-bodas are the only public transport! It's a fun way to get around.

 

We are so glad to have been able to go to Gulu and see the things that are happening there. God is certainly doing a great work.