IDP

Easter in Atiak camp in Amuru District has been hot, dry and windy. The major problem we have seen is lack of water. Look at these pictures and pray that they may be able to get enough clean water in addition to the many needs. We appeal for practical help to drill a borhole, drilling one bore hole is approximately 18 million Uganda shillings.
Atiak is some few miles to Sudan.

Pictures by Rev.Willy Akena on Sunday April 8, 2007

Education

The best boy has no future

Yesterday I visited a home in Gulu Municipality. I met a woman who narrated how her son managed to go to a secondary school Sir Samuel Baker commonly called Pongdwongo, in Gulu district.
This boy made some bricks during the holiday while waiting for the Primary Leaving Result. The routine is for him to go to the well, fetch some water, walk back home where he has already dug the soil, pour the water and start mixing until it's properly done. He then scoop the mud and pile it together in form of an anthill for about 12 hours, thereafter he has to start making the bricks. The bricks are then left to dry, after that he assemble them ready for burning. The process of getting firewood for this work is another tag of war.
The boy fortunately was the best in his School in the 2006 PLE result and was admitted in the above school.
Time for reporting, was like time of mourning the lost of a dear one, because the school requirements too hard for the boy’s parents. All the same he managed to report but because he paid only part of the fees he is to wait for the food left out after the other students who have paid have eaten then he may get something. This is just first term of the long four or six years ahead of him. And there is no sign of improvement in the financial base of the parents of this boy.
The purpose of this message is to request you to practically support this boy. If you need detail please contact me on dnu@utlonline.co.uk or akenawilly@yahoo.co.uk then I will link you up with the boy, parents and the former school as well as the present school.

The winner in this war

The time is 7:20am, as I was cleaning the compound, I saw two cocks fighting seriously, and it drew my attention as well as the attention of my family members. As I continue watching this drama, I recalled what the leader of the LRA Joseph Kony said on the war in Northern Uganda. Kony said “Lweny wa ni obedo calo pa twong gweno, ma acel ryemo lawote, itamo ni dong kibwoyo ento koni inongo ni en ma ocako ngwec ni dok cako ryemo lawote” Meaning this war is like that of two cocks, one may be overpower and you may think it has defeated the other one, but surprisingly the one who is being chased may regain strength and come back to continue the fight. As I was sharing this with my family and taking pictures, my heart begins to have pity for the one who was facing it rough, finally I decided to take one away and hide it from the other one. This I thought would be the best alternative to stop the fight. But now that I am away I am not sure what the next thing would be, given the fact that the two cocks may meet again.
As you think over this story think about the solution to the war in northern Uganda.
I later learnt that one cock belong to Bishop Nelson Onono-Onweng while the other one is for a camp resident just some few meters away from the Bishop’s residence at Mican in Gulu Municipality.

By Rev. Willy Akena

Hope again in Northern Uganda

After meeting the LRA top commanders in the jungle of Garamba in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there seems to be a renewed hope to the people in northern Uganda. Kony has literally accepted Juba to remain the venue for the resumption of the talks, although about 18 issues still stand on the way, but it's yet another sign that peace is being given a chance. According to the leader of government delegation Dr.Ruhakana Rugunda, five African countries have agreed to send senior government and military officials to reinforce the negotiations; these are South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. We pray that the elite LRA delegation consider the plight of the people in Northern Uganda seriously and do everything to speed up the peace process.
It's unfortunate that with the raining season around the corner, our people are going to suffer and may not fully farm their land. That means poverty level will continue to go higher and higher.

Hope in Juba

Now that the cessation of hostility agreement has expired, what will the next move be for the Government of Uganda, Lord's Resistance Army and the local population in the Northern part of Uganda? With the presence of the Acholi Paramount chief, Rwot David Onen Achana 11 and key player in the diaspora as well as local leaders from Acholi in Juba, what do we expect? The reality on the ground is that people are now hesitant to go back to their villages for fear of rebel incursion. The LRA walked out of the talks last month and are insisting for a change in venue and mediator. The government position is still the same- no change of venue and mediator.
We appeal to all parties involve to really have the people in the camps at heart.