One drink, two drink, abandonment…

We are officially on lockdown…or at least it feels that way sometimes. Our landlord (he lives next door) and neighbours have basically blocked off most entrances to our compound. Why you ask? Well, remember that man that Lara spoke about last blog? He returned later that evening with a friend(probably about the same time she was writing about him at the mission). His intent; to rob us. Charles, one of our neighbours, saw him and had him arrested. Things became quite intense for the next couple days, but all is well now. He is not in custody unfortunately though, so we are just hoping that he does not return to our area! This just reminds us of the lack of security in the camp and the easy accessiblity to the so many homes. It also shows the community that is around us and the safety we have with them.

Last week we met Helen and her 7 children. Their ages ranging from 15 down to 2.

Helen came into our lives by accident but we’re very glad she did. Everyday we hear about women that cannot return to the homestead and men that are idle in the camp during the day. So we thought, why not give a man a job for a day and get someone back home? Now, we realize that we cannot do this for everyone, but Helen and her children touched us in a special way.

After meeting Helen we found out that not only did she have 7 children, she had a hut that you could barely call a home, and a husband that had left them 3 years ago. They literally had nothing; no door, no blankets, no pots, no shoes, and no mats to sleep on. 

Her husband, it turned out, was abusive and an alcoholic. He left them, left the clan and got a new wife in Kitgum town.

So, on Monday we made our way out to her home about 3kms away. Our plan was to pay for the labour for her roof and get her and her children back home. It didn’t seem that difficult. However, there were some delays. The man that was supposed to help, did not show up. Then, when we offered a neighbour the job, he unfortunately charged too much. Therefore, Ojibu and Charles ended up completing it for free.

We also learned that the roof she wanted completed was her kitchen! These huts are much to small for a family of 8 to live in, and she really needed the living quarters completed. The next plan of action was to first complete the kitchen (from the kind volunteer services of Ojibu and Charles) and then we would pay for the main hut to be completed next week (for a grand total of about $20CAD). That is where we are left off, and the hut will now be completed on Sunday! On Monday, this family will return home:).

Alcoholism has not only left Helen alone and raising 7 children by herself, but it is also consuming the camp. It affects many IDPs and it tears many families apart. I can honestly say that there has not been one day in Padibe that I have not witnessed a drunk person. Many men drink but women also do. I am not a doctor and I cannot confirm the exact reasons for drinking but if I were to guess, living in the camp may play a part in this problem. Not only are people drinking but they are drinking excessively. Instead of going home to their families, you can find many in the local bar after returning from the gardens. Instead of giving money to the family for food, it is wasted on alcohol. Instead of supporting his 7 children, Helen’s husband has abandoned them all.

 

Since this plays such a role in camp life, yesterday I decided to visit a bar myself. I wanted to see what it was like. Here’s the experience. 

 

done

 

While talking to the patrons at the bar I found that it is very easy to access alcohol, as it is produced right in the camp. A 600ml bottle of local brew costs only 300 Ugandan Shillings…that would be about 22cents. For many women, brewing alcohol becomes a main source of income; even Helen makes it, now that she has no other means of income. Although it’s not the greatest occupation, it’s really the only thing she has right now.

 

With only one week left in Padibe, our time is precious and stories are vital. We’ll be posting many in the coming days, so stay tuned…and also stay tuned for an update of Helen at home:).

 

In peace,

 

~Andrea