Camp life is not fun…

After 4 weeks of staying in the camp, I think I’m finally starting to feel like a resident of Padibe. Those feelings consist of anger, frustration, hunger, tiredness, sadness, and last but not least, hope. I know I will never understand or feel what a real IDP feels and to be honest, I don’t want to…and I wish no one had to experience this state. We came here to witness the life of an IDP, but we will never ‘really’ experience that, because we are not.

 

In the past few weeks I have come to dislike, or even hate, camp life. Don’t get me wrong, I love northern Uganda (it’s such a beautiful country) and I love the kind people of Padibe that I have come to call my friends, but camp life is not something you can love or even like. In the time I’ve spent in Padibe IDP camp, I have been eaten alive by bugs, been dirty most of the time, been spied on while in the shower, have been hungry, have had to walk around feces (and not just animal!) everyday, have had to be more cautious of disease than ever before, have almost been robbed,  have been surrounded by cockroaches (they show up in our hut as well), have not had one night of soundless sleep, and have been witnessing and watching people around me suffering since July 1st! Camp life is not fun. Camp life is not somewhere you want to keep your family or raise children. Camp life is not safe. Camp life is not clean…and camp life needs to stop!

 

I do mention hope though because you can see it in the eyes of people we interview and talk to. Residents of Padibe are returning home, but only few. There are still 25,000 residents here! I grew up in the small town of Orillia, Ontario and it totaled 27,000 people a few years back. However, Orillians were spread out over much land and there’s no way I would have wanted to be herded into a small space, such as the space in Padibe, with everyone (no offence to the residents of Orillia!). For those of you from any small town, can you imagine that?

 

But that’s the thing, I go back to Gulu and leave camp life in 3 days. I get to go home in one week. When will the people of northern Uganda and Padibe get to return home? When will they be free to live the lives they have missed for decades now?

 

I also said I would update you on Helen, so here you go. Yesterday we went to visit her homestead again and we were happy to see the brickwork finished and the roof being prepared. 

 

 

 

 

Helen and her 7 children have already been staying at home (in the kitchen for now), and are thrilled to leave the camp. Yesterday we talked with Helen’s eldest daughter, Agnes.

 

 

We asked her what she wanted to do when she grows up and her answer, “I want to be a nurse so I can try my best to sort out and assist with my mother’s problems.” From the look in her eyes, I believe Agnes will become a nurse. From the look in the eyes of many people in northern Uganda, I believe they will succeed and I believe there will be peace. I just hope it’s sooner than later…the time is now!

 

I want to thank everyone for the supportive and informative comments over the past few weeks. We have received them all and are very appreciative. We thank you for paying attention and taking an active interest in IDPs!

 

Until next time,

 

~Andrea