Update: Evicted

I wanted to update everyone on the families from Hope Alive! who had been evicted from their homes in Kampala. (See the post below entitled “Evicted”.) Most of them have found another place to live, although a few are still searching for permanent housing. In the past two weeks, I have visited four of those families in their “new” homes. We are thankful that they have found alternative housing, but we must now hope that they will be able to meet the longer-term challenges that are a result of this situation.

(Above - With Hope Alive student's Moureen and Dutchess and their mother in their new home.)

First, many of the students who were displaced last month did not perform well in this recent school term. Who can blame them? These kids were abruptly uprooted from their homes in just one day. They experienced the angst that comes with being homeless and worried about how their family would survive. To make matters worse, some were temporarily separated from their parents/guardians, living with other relatives for a few weeks while their parents looked

for a new place to live. Needless to say, most of these kids found it difficult to concentrate on school work and received low grades this term. This was especially difficult for “candidates” in the upper classes whose grades will determine their placement next year and the course of their entire future.

(At left - Hope Alive student Bridget (on left) in front of her family's new place. They are renting the garage that is attached to the main house in this photo.)

Another concern is whether these families will be able to make their “new” rent payments. Hope Alive! helped most of the families with their “down payment” (first three months’ rent) so that they could have a roof over their heads and get back on their feet more quickly. Though families were required to find a place that was “reasonably” priced in order to receive the financial help, some families are finding new struggles in their new homes due to increased house rent or increased transportation costs since their new homes are a distance from the places they must travel for their normal activities.

Take, for example, Mary and her six children. Their new home is better than their former residence and is in a quieter area of the city. However, it is far from where the children go to school and from where they sell boiled maize for the family “business”. The three older children now walk very far in order to reach school each morning because there is no money to take public transport. (They each walk over an hour.) The three younger children attend school during the day and then sell the boiled maize (prepared by their mother) in the evening. The family’s only source of income is from selling the maize.

Without this income, they will all starve. Unfortunately, they cannot simply begin selling the maize closer to their new home, where it would be safer and more convenient. Like any business, they must first earn respect in the neighborhood and begin to build a clientele. Until that happens, the children continue to travel back to their former place of residence (about a 40 minute walk) to sell the maize where people are already familiar with their “business”. This means that the young children must walk all afternoon and work all evening, returning home tired. But this is the only way that the family will survive while also keeping everyone in school. In many ways, it is an uphill struggle. And like any parent, Mary constantly worries about her children and about how she will manage to keep a roof over their heads. Right now, the money they are making would not be enough to pay the rent and pay for food.

(At Right - Mary and two older daughters, Ruth and Esther, in front of new home.)

We are thankful that many of these families are no longer homeless, but continue to pray with us that they will be able to meet the continuing challenges that have resulted from their displacement.

Peace

The effects of peace have finally, at long last, become evident in Northern Uganda. When I first came to Gulu in 2007, the ceasefire had only been in effect for about a year and a half. The vast majority of the population remained in IDP camps though the rebel army – the Lord’s Resistanc Army (LRA) – had absented the area in 2005/2006. People were still very fearful of leaving the camps, very dependent on outside aid, and very much struggling to survive. I would hear often about what “normal” life was like for the Acholi people prior to the war. They would recall an idyllic and peaceful village setting in which they were able to produce their own food and live together with family and clan members. But in 2007, normal life had become merely a distant memory and a whimsical hope for those living in Northern Uganda. The reality of war still loomed menacingly in most people’s minds and the possibility of returning to a traditional way of life in the village seemed a far off dream.

Four years later (and six years after the retreat of the LRA) that distant hope is finally becoming a reality. Now, at long last, I have been able to see this traditional form of life that I had often been told about in years past. For the first time, I see villages and gardens flourishing. I see families reuniting. I see peace. People are still facing struggles, but they are finally experiencing the freedom for which they have long waited. They are free to live on their own land. Free to grow their own food. Free to move at night in their own neighborhood. Free to be Acholi once again. Most of all, they are free from fear. It is as if the entire population has breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The most evident indication of this peace has been the abundance of homes and gardens now seen sprouting up everywhere in the “bush” (the villages). During the war, few dared to live in such isolation as their village where they were easy targets for the rebels. Now, they return to these places eagerly and have started to harvest good crops. Another indication of peace is the growing number of people traveling on foot after dark. In years past, moving at night was extremely risky, often resulting in death or abduction. Now, people no longer fear the night. In addition, Gulu Town is growing by leaps and bounds… new hotels, new banks, new stores can be seen on every corner. Gulu is still the same endearing place, but it has changed much now in the past four years. Hopefully, all for the better.

Even more important than the rebuilding of the physical landscape is the restoration of people’s spirits. The war was long. The suffering was prolific. As a result, hope waned during those years and courage/resilience began to falter. But a return to traditional life has restored a belief not only that life can be good once again, but also that people can be good once again.

What all this means for my friends in Gulu, and for the Acholi people, is difficult to express in words. I can only see the joy reflected in their faces… as if their hearts are singing some unheard, but deep and joyous melody. I cannot completely understand what they are feeling, but after witnessing their joy, my heart also sings with them.

Injustice

I am discovering a theme this trip to Uganda: Abuse of Power. Injustice. Heartbreak.

This theme is not novel to me. Not in America. Not in Uganda. Not in the world in general. In fact, over the course of my experiences and my studies, the injustice I have encountered has become so common place – so blatant, even – as to no longer elicit shock. Injustice is ever-present, ever-threatening, ever-familiar in this world. Though I have become accustom to its horror, it still provokes both deep compassion and righteous anger.

Biajo has worked on our home compound in Kampala since the first WorldVenture employees began living there at least 8 years ago. He is the day gate man and also does many small jobs around the property. He works 12 hours a day, six or seven days per week, and makes about $60 per month. (His work schedule and salary are set by the landlord, though the tenets have advocated successfully in the past on Biajo’s behalf for better pay and a day off.) His family lives in the village of Lugazi, approximately 80 miles from Kampala. He has a wife and seven children, some of whom are now grown. Because of his work schedule and the cost of transportation, he travels home to the village only about once or twice a month to see his family. I know it is difficult for him to have his family so far away, though he complains little. He must now be approaching 60 years old, and has worked hard for many years to ensure that his family is able to live adequately in the village.

A few weeks ago, Biajo’s eighteen year old son, Ronald, was imprisoned based on false charges brought forward by a profiteering man from the family’s village. While the details are too lengthy to explain here, the boy did make some potentially bad decisions but did not commit any crimes. Nonetheless, the man saw an opportunity to profit and thus used his connections in the local police to have Ronald arrested. Instead of being brought before a judge within 48 hours for arraignment, the man bribed the police to keep Ronald in jail for nearly two weeks. During this time, he began to extort Biajo’s family for large sums of money and threatened that if they did not pay him what he asked, he would ensure that they boy was convicted and imprisoned for a long time. The initial amount that the man demanded was more than Biajo makes in an entire month. He then began to increase the amount with each passing day that the family did not pay.

Biajo could not go to the police (who had already been bribed by the man) and he did not have any connections with anyone “higher up” to advocate on his behalf. In addition, information about the case had been falsified in the official documents, again because those documenting the information had been bribed. Biajo did not have the money to pay the man what he asked, and even if he had paid him, the man would have only asked for more money after the initial bribe was paid. It was an extremely frustrating situation – one that was clearly wrong, but which no one had any power to change.

Biajo was overcome with worry. He could not afford bribes, lawyer fees, or court costs. And his son was sitting in a jail, though innocent. He fretted as only a father could about his children. Though he performed his duties as usual around the compound, the burden he felt was readily apparent to those who knew him well.

After two weeks, the man became enraged that the family had not paid the money he had demanded. He had Ronald transferred to the district court where he had other connections. The case is a small one that should have been heard in the local courts, but by transferring the case to the district courts, the man hopes that he will be able to buy his way to a guilty verdict. The boy was finally released last week after Biajo’s family borrowed money to pay a lawyer to bribe the court officials at the boy’s arraignment hearing. (That’s just how things work here.) The amount of money they paid was small compared to what the other man was seeking to extort from them, but still far too much for them to be able to afford. They had spent every shilling that they owned, and then some, to try to get the boy out of jail and no longer even had any money for food. And the lawyers that had helped with the boy’s arraignment were demanding their payment.

Thankfully, a “Good Samaritan” from the States provided some money to the family to pay their initial lawyer fees (less than $100) after hearing from me about the situation. Ronald is now in Kampala living with his father until his case is officially heard in court on September 5^th. (The man in the village has threatened to kill Ronald if he returns to the village.) Though Ronald is innocent of any crime, the fact that this man has paid to have documents falsified and also has friends in the court system is a very bad omen. The crime of which Ronald is accused is minor, yet the man is advocating for the boy to be imprisoned for 20 years. Murderers are often given less. If Ronald is convicted and goes to jail, Biajo told me that he fears that he and his wife will be dead by the time Ronald is released (in twenty years). He is heartsick by the possibility that if Ronald is convicted on September 5^th, then he will never see his son again.

This situation has also greatly burdened my heart, not just for its blatant injustice, but also because I have witnessed the way that it affects Biajo. It has been agonizing to see him so distraught. I can simply say that I have never been given reason to doubt the trustworthiness of this man. He is a good man. Not perfect. But honest and hardworking, trying his best to support a family he rarely gets to see.

Again, the powerful are taking advantage of those who have no power, no money, no voice. I see it happening right before my eyes. Yet with all of my education, all my tender-hearted compassion, and even my Western “wealth”, I can do little for Biajo’s situation. It is a helpless feeling. But I also know that God can rectify this situation and utilize for a greater purpose than I can now see.

I believe that prayer is vastly important, but I also believe that in situations like these, prayer alone does not substitute for action. I may not be able to provide Biajo with financial support or immediate solutions, but I can be his voice to others. It is with his permission that I have posted his story here. Please pray that the decision rendered by the court on September 5^th will be favorable for Ronald, and that true justice will be served.

Biajo asks that I express to you his extreme gratitude for your prayers.

Prayer Team

In the busyness of my transition from Denver back to Florida and in the midst of my preparations for Uganda, I failed to put together a small team of supporters that would stand beside me in prayer for the duration of my trip. I was graciously reminded of the importance of a prayer team before I left by someone well acquainted with the joys and challenges of doing this type of work overseas. But I delayed in putting this “team” together. So I am doing it now, although I have already been in Uganda for 3 weeks.

Several people have already committed to praying for me on a regular basis. If you are interested in becoming part of my prayer team, please email me at holly.philpot@gmail.com to let me know so that I can add you to my email list. I am looking for about 10 people who will commit to praying regularly both for myself and, more importantly, for the specific needs and concerns of people that I encounter here in Uganda.

The Birth of a Nation

8 July 2011

At midnight tonight, the world will welcome its newest country: the Republic of South Sudan. The nation has not been birthed without decades of violence and struggle. The first uprising against the North began in 1955, prior to Sudan’s official independence from Britain. That struggle has continued up to modern times, save for a decade of peace between North and South in the 1970s. The rebellion revived in the 80’s after the

increasingly Islamist government reneged on several promises it had made and also implemented shari’a law over

the entire nation, including those who were non-Muslims. Bitter and brutal war followed for the next 20+ years, with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) leading the South in the struggle to liberate themselves from Northern oppression. Finally, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005, promised a referendum for the South – one in which they overwhelmingly chose to break free from the North. Their decision to secede and become their own nation will come to fruition at midnight tonight.

South Sudan is still rife with problems. Infrastructure is nearly nonexistent after decades of war. The Republic of Sudan continues to threaten from the North, still waging war in the contested areas of Abyei and the Nuba mountains. And tribal conflict within South Sudan already threatens to tear the new nation apart. Yet all of this pales in light of what the Southern Sudanese will achieve tonight: independence. They may not yet know how to solve their many internal problems, but what they do know is that finally, at long last, they are free.

10 July 2011

This past weekend, I had the great honor of being in South Sudan when it officially became its own nation. My friend/co-worker Kate and I traveled to the town of Nimule, which just across the border from Uganda. Luckily, a friend arranged lodging for us at a local orphanage that happened to have some of the best accommodations in town (no running water, but a sturdy building with real beds and electricity from a generator for a few hours at night). We got to hang out with the kids and watch the preparations and festivities that unfolded around us. We were able to witness the birth of a nation.The orphanage also housed a church on its property. The church held a special program on the night of the 8^th which included the lighting of candles and the singing of the new national anthem at midnight, when the new nation was officially announced. I was honored to be able to be a part of this experience… to see these people finally achieve something for which they had long fought and suffered. Singing and dancing and celebrating followed for the next hour or so.The next day, everyone from the surrounding areas – the Madi, Acholi, Dinka, Bari, and other tribes – paraded along the main street in their best clothes or tribal regalia. They gathered at the piyam (local government office) to witness a special ceremony in which the Sudanese flag was lowered and the new South Sudanese flag was raised during the playing of the national anthem. They then proceeded to Nimule Stadium (which simply turned out to be a large soccer field) for a day-long program that included speeches, dancing, and military drills. Unfortunately, the crowd was so large that I was able to see little of the ceremony. In addition, the excessive heat and perpetually limited shade meant that we returned home early to relieve our skin from burning to a crisp under the hot African sun. The day was marked by much celebration that included ululating, shouting, flag waving, dancing, music, eating, drinking, and the firing of guns into the air (the latter two of which were probably a bad combination).

No one knows what will happen now that South Sudan has achieved its independence. The tribes united in their mutual disdain for the North and fought together to win their freedom. However, intertribal rivalries and conflicts have always threatened the unity of the South… and this threat has not disappeared with independence. The Dinka dominated the leadership of the SPLA and now also dominate the leadership of the new country. Though it was the Dinka’s fierce warrior mentality that assuredly prevented the North from obliterating the South during the war, it is also the Dinka’s stubbornness and exclusiveness that have contributed to growing criticisms and unrest from other tribes. Will the South Sudanese go to war amongst themselves? I have been told by Southern Sudanese themselves that it is very possible. Let us pray for peace to reign in this new land.