GYPA: 2007 African Immersions

Travel, Adventure, and Fun to End the Immersion

2007-08-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been filled with adventure and exploration. We arrived back from Gulu on Friday afternoon after a bumpy bus ride (119 speed bumps in a 30 mile distance!), and rested when we finally got back to Makerere University. After a hearty dinner, the group spent time in the dorms relaxing and unpacking, getting ready for their up coming day of adventure in Jinja.

Saturday morning, the group woke up early and headed to Jinja, where lies the source of the Nile, for a day of white water rafting on the Nile and bunji jumping. Some chose to spend the day exploring Jinja town and watching the jumpers, while others participated in the extreme outdoor activities. Arriving back later that night full of energy and excitement, the group got together and headed out for a night of dancing!

The following morning was free in Kampala. Some chose to tour the markets, buy crafts, cruise the internet, or just relax in town. In the afternoon, we met for our final reflection session and discussion of how participants can bring what they have learned here in Uganda back to their communities, whether that be college campuses, families, friends, local communities, or wider communities. There are exciting opportunities ahead…

The group traveled to the airport on Monday and arrived safely, ready for their flight home. They are now on the plane, heading to Dubai, then to New York, and then to their various destinations. You can look forward to seeing them soon!

It was a wonderful trip and every participant added so much to the program’s success. We are so glad that each and every person was a part of it. What a wonderful way to end GYPA’s summer immersions.

Please note that we had difficulty posting pictures on the blog, but we do plan to put together a photo gallery in the next few days, so be sure to check for it!

Students Shadow Local Organizations & Visit Paicho IDP Camp

2007-08-16T05:01:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday participants spent the day with local organizations learning about development and health initiatives in the north. Some groups visited nearby IDP camps and met with beneficiaries of the organizations' programs, while others experienced the day-to-day life in the organizations' local offices and facilities. More to come on the specifics of each program.

Thursday we woke up early and boarded our 12-seater taxis and headed out to Paicho IDP camp where GYPA has sponsored sports programs with both young women and men in the community. Community members led small groups around the camp where we visited the health clinic, a youth center, and agricultural initiatives. Walking around, participants were able to witness daily life in the camp and gain a better understanding of the health and development challenges faced by the community.

As peace talks continue, many residents of the IDP camps are beginning to return to their villages. While most are eager to return home, a whole new set of challenges await the citizens of northern Uganda as they try to regain their land, build new homes, and start their lives again.

After a tour of the camp, we played games with the hundreds of children who came with us to a soccer field. Older participants and friends in the camp played soccer while the younger children sang songs and played games in small groups with other participants.

Thursday night brought a close to the Gulu portion of our program. After reflection and a closing ceremony we said a sad goodbye to our new friends from Gulu. On Friday we return to Kampala for the last few days of our program.

Success Stories in Development

2007-08-15T03:25:00.000-07:00

We had each of our participants write about a personal success story or a success in development that they have witnessed. Each person had very inspiring things to share. Here are a few stories to give you a taste...

A Success Story
by Sarah Angwech

Being one of the members of Girl's Kick It! (GKI) in Gulu, I found it nice and interesting working with girls, women and children in this group. It was great to meet with them and discuss development and health issues both in town and in the IDP (internally displaced persons) camps. These girls and women with Girl's Kick It were educated about HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy, and team building so that they can easily protect and maintain themselves in their communities.
And both the girls and women play football while at Girls Kick It to help them socialize and try to overcome some problems that they encounter in day to day living and this has changed their lives and they have also learned to be brave and think of better ideas to improve their lives in their communities. And the success is that the program is still continuing and more girls and women are coming up and joining the team.

The Breakdance Project
by Emily Burkhart

An extremely inspiring project, created by a Ugandan who many participants look up to. What is great about this project is that it allows an interchange between being a teacher and a participant, so that there is really no level of superiority -- and everyone contributes to the program. What Abramz (the founder) is getting out of the project is NOT money, but altruistic benefits and sights for a future, bigger collaboration.

Another success

I find it amazing and a great leap that Ugandan participants here in Gulu are working in development. There are many challenges a returnee faces when returning to the community (a returnee is someone who had been abducted by the LRA and is now back in society living in his community). It is very noble and a huge success that these women who have been abducted by the LRA are working with the community in development work. I think they are a living example of what is possible and are making a very positive impact in the community and are beginning to create sustainability.
I also feel that all of the Ugandans and Americans being here working together is the start of success. It shows great initiative on each participants part and shows the eagerness and wilingess each participant has in wanting to learn about development.

Judith Peace's Achievement
by Judith Peace

When I was a Gender minister, I dreamt of changing the lives of women through development and helping them access their rights, especially in Northern Uganda but my dream didn't come true because of financial constraints but neither did I fail completely in my dreams. I tried as much as possible and organized gender awareness meetings and drew many participants from all institutions and secondary schools in Gulu district with support from Human Rights Focus's Mother-Daughter project and Gulu University and managed to lobby for 1.255 million ugandan shillings to support this. It was a successful achievement of my dream.

Speakers, Hospital Visit, Rain Storms, and Markets: Participants Experience Gulu

2007-08-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

Monday morning Rebecca Litman and Greg Hartman joined the group to present their research on The Lasting Psychological Effects of the Conflict in Northern Uganda. After a very informative overview of their findings, the group launched into a long discussion about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the correlation between PTSD and individuals who had been abducted by the LRA.

In the afternoon, a representative from The AIDS Support Organization joined the group to provide an overview of the services that the clinic provides to HIV infected people.

Following many small group discussions the Ugandan participants took the Americans around Gulu town. Rolexes are a new group favorite (fried egg rolled up in delicious chapati tortilla) and we have given the tailors in the market who make beautiful fabric dresses, purses etc. quite a bit of business!

After dinner the group braved a sudden rain storm and went to a local restaurant for a reflection session. It was great to talk about our experiences thus far with the rain pouring down outside and the muddy and wet trek home made it a fun adventure!

Tuesday morning, the charismatic Rocky Moyoo from the Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization organization spoke to the group about their exciting initiatives. An excellent example of a local organization having a large impact, the 9 members of staff have trained 500 women in nearby IDP camps to carryout health and women’s rights outreaches throughout the community.

Following lunch, we visited an organization called Restoring Northern Uganda’s Healthcare ReNUH. Josh and Sarah, two Americans who came to Gulu with different organizations, started the project a year ago and have spent the past year doing research on the biggest needs in the healthcare system in the north. The group and was able to apply knowledge from prior speakers to ask informed questions as well as provide constructive thoughts regarding the young organization\s goals. ReNUH representatives took the participants in small groups on a tour of the Gulu Regional Hospital compound where we were able to see some of the major gaps in the healthcare system firsthand. While it was difficult to see the very low quality of facilities and services, the afternoon seemed to revive many people’s energy and hope that with the correct intentions and accurate information, we can all find a positive role to play in the complex world of development.

Today (Wednesday) the participants are out in small groups spending the day with different organizations in the field. The AIDS Support Network, CARE, Information for Youth Empowerment, The Gulu Women’s Economic Development & Globalization, and Invisible Children. Stay tuned to hear how the day went!

Heading to Gulu Town

2007-08-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was another early rise! We got up and drove to Gulu, a town in a neighboring district to Apac, where we will spend the next five days. This portion of the program is designed to give participants an accurate and balanced perspective on the situation today in Northern Uganda, as well as to examine health issues that face an area that is rebuilding itself in a post-conflict era.

We arrived and had a guest speak, Jimmy Otiem, a formerly abducted child soldier and also the current Northern Uganda representative to the International Crimes Court of the United Nations. Jimmy spoke to us about his experience being forced to fight with the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army; the rebel group that incited the conflict in the North) and his goals today in working towards peace and reconciliation. Jimmy was an inspirational speaker and a wonderful introduction to our time in the North!

The afternoon was spent exploring Gulu town, going to the market and seeing what is around in the town. Later, we were joined by our second group of Ugandan participants, who are all Northerners; some are students at Gulu University, and some are working towards peace and reconciliation in various NGOs in Gulu. The afternoon was spent getting to know each other and preparing for the rest of the week, and we are all looking forward to what is coming up!

Coming up…

Monday, August 13, 2007
Presentation/discussion: background of the conflict by Fabius Okumu, Gulu University Center for Conflict Management and Peace Studies
Presentation: Rebecca Lipman and Greg Hartman, The Lasting Psychological Effects of the Conflict on Northern Uganda
Presentation/discussion by The AIDS Support Organization

Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Panel addressing the health challenges particular to youth an women: Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization, Information for Youth Empowerment Program
Gulu Regional Hospital visit with ReNUH

Wendesday, August 15, 2007
Mentorship program with various local NGOs

Participants Teach and Play at Arocha Primary School

2007-08-13T03:24:00.001-07:00

We woke up early in the morning to head up North to Apac. We arrived in the early afternoon and met with GYPA’s program coordinator in Apac, Howard Onyok. After having a traditional Northern Ugandan lunch, the group traveled by bicycle taxi to the Arocha primary school, where GYPA and Apac Kids League have a joint initiative with the nearly 400 students of the school. The project joins together sports and health education, and we had the chance to participate in some of the outreach initiatives.

Participants each worked with a group of primary school students teaching about and discussing with them personal hygiene and the importance of personal cleanliness. The students were so well educated that they were often times telling us the questions to ask!

Afterwards, we were had some time to have fun and play games together. The participants taught some American games to the children and the children then taught the Americans some of their local games…the laughter and excitement filled the entire schoolyard!

In the evening, we had dinner with the mayor of Apac, Jimmy Okello, who told us about his hopes and plans for Apac in the next few years. We spoke about the current political situation and his views on today’s events in Uganda, as well as his experience living in Apac during the conflict and the positive direction Apac has taken since.

Touring Kampala; Three Lessons about Aid Work

2007-08-13T03:23:00.000-07:00

Friday morning was a free morning, spent either visiting a few CBOs (community-based organizations) that are run by our Ugandan participants, browsing at the markets in Kampala, and shopping the National Theater Art Market.

In the afternoon, we had a talk by Dr. Richard Stockley, a British doctors who came to Uganda 27 years ago as a missionary doctor. He has stayed since and raised his family in Uganda, and spoke to us about his experience working with the Karamoja people in Northern Uganda when he first arrived many years ago. His main message to the group regarding development work consisted of three main points: 1) do the best you can with what you have, 2) you have to be present to make the work happen, and 3) do the simple things well. He illustrated his points by witty and humorous stories of the mistakes he made in order to learn these lessons.

In the evening, the group celebrated their last night in Kampala with an authentic Italian dinner!

Speakers inform about various health initiatives in Uganda

2007-08-13T03:20:00.002-07:00

Thursday morning presented us with a wide range of information from various speakers. We first heard from Nathan Lasche of the Clinton Foundation, who spoke to the participants about his experience working with the government of Uganda in the foundation’s effort to make ARVs more widely available to the people of Uganda. He explained how the process of ARV treatment works, and of the two major initiatives he is working on. The first is pediatric treatment, finding ways to provide the more expensive pediatric treatment for children with HIV. The second was providing second-line ARVs, which patients who have been taking first-line ARVs for many years need to switch to. We learned about the growing importance of the latter initiative, as more people infected with HIV are now in need of switching to the second line of treatment.

After Mr. Lasche, Chris Day from Engage Uganda came to speak to us. His stories of his experience working with Medicin Sans Frontiere (Doctors Without Borders) for 9 years, in countries like Sudan, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Sierre Leone, and more, provided participants with a broader understanding of development work and working in conflict zones.

In the afternoon, Nakalyango Magalene from Nsambya Hostpial, a private missionary hospital in Kampala, came to speak with us about the opportunities and challenges of running a private hospital in Uganda. This allowed us to compare these issues to those of Mulago Hospital, the government public hospital we had visited a few days before.

In the afternoon we broke into small group discussions to reflect upon what we had heard that day, and also to part from our fellow Ugandan participants as it was their last day with us. We also discussed the conflict in the North, in light of the Americans upcoming trip to Gulu an Apac. Both Americans and Ugandans learned about the view of the North from the Southern Ugandans, observing first hand the large information gap that exists in the country regarding the region.

Following discussions we had a closing ceremony and discussed the next steps in the USA and Uganda for each participants.

Students explore art and dance for development

2007-08-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a day full of movement and travel! In the morning, we drove to Loutembe Beach to visit an international art academy which is currently being constructed. The Nagenda International Academy of Art and Design is an initiative of Dr. Kizito Maria Kasule, a Ugandan artist, professor, and historian, to build the first ever international art and design academy in Africa, slated to open in March 2008.

Dr. Kasule spoke to the students about his vision for the academy and how he came to the idea. Giving the students a historical background and context to African art and to its current state today, he showed students the vast importance of such an academy and the role which arts play in development. Students were also interested to hear about the academy’s intention of designing an art therapy curriculum that can be used in communities throughout Uganda, a concept that is just yet being introduced in Africa.

We stayed at the site to have a picnic lunch, and then headed to the beach to play frisbee, soccer, rugby, and more!

After some time to relax and play at the beach, we drove to the Sharing Youth Center in Nsambya, Kampala to visit Breakdance Project Uganda and to participate in their evening class. There we learned about the organization and its initiatives to provide activities and an outlet for youth to come and learn to breakdance.

These special skills can be performed in various places and has also served as a way to earn money for many of the youth involved. We interacted and danced with many of the participants, who taught us in small groups a few basic breakdance moves. We all quickly learned how challenging these moves were, but our persistence made it possible for everyone to learn something!

We arrived back at the university after a long day to have dinner together and relax…we are looking forward to the upcoming days!

Trip heads to Mulago Hospital; faces public health crisis

2007-08-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a busy day! Heading out early in the morning, we went to Mulago Hospital, Uganda’s only public government–funded hospital. While services here are free of charge to those patients who arrive, we quickly learned about the challenges and difficulties in actually providing treatment free of charge.

After touring the maternity ward with Dr. Fatouma, a biochemist researcher as well as an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, we were immediately faced with long lines of patients, waiting sometimes the entire day just to be seen. We learned about the fact that mothers coming to deliver must bring their own supplies with them, including bed-sheets, gauze, gloves and more.

Afterwards, we were taken to the PIDC (Pediatric Infectious Disease Center), where HIV/AIDS treatment and counseling is provided monthly for those children in the program. We had the opportunity to speak with one of the patients, Peter, a 14-year old boy who is HIV positive and who campaigns for the organization Kick Out AIDS. He spoke with us about his experience growing up HIV positive and his hopes to end all stigmatism related to HIV. The time spent at the PIDC speaking with Peter and Nurse Sesse lead to some heated discussion among the Ugandan and American participants about allowing HIV positive children to study in regular schools – should they be in school with non-infected children? Should the other students be made aware of the HIV positive students’ status? There were a range of opinions that we were all able to learn from.

Before leaving Mulago Hospital, we were lead in a discussion on reproductive health in Uganda by Ms. Sara Gutin, a Rotary scholar living in Uganda and conducting research on the subject. We heard about her experiences trying to promote family planning among women and men, her work at the Mulago hospital, and more. Many interesting questions followed and the discussions continued over lunch after we left the hospital.

In the afternoon, participants worked together to solve a public health crisis simulation which the staff had designed. Students played various roles in various governments, media, and health organizations, having to cope with a storm and flood that created chaos on the fictitious African island of Lutoro.

Students were continually faced with various crises including an influx of refugees from a neighboring island also affected by the flood, a cholera outbreak, a destruction of roads and complete separation between the Northern and Southern island, and much more. Students worked together with great ambition as they attempted to tackle the ever-growing crises, though they faced many difficulties and obstacles, many of which reflected the challenges that would arise in a real situation of the sort.

August Uganda Immersion Kicks Off

2007-08-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

August Immersion Days 1-3

The Youth Global Ambassadors Summit has been off to a great start! The American participants all arrived safely after two long days of travel and went directly to the Makerere University dorms where the summit is taking place to have a traditional Ugandan dinner.

The following morning, they were sent all around Kampala on a scavenger hunt, learning about the city and getting to know more about Uganda and its culture. Later in the day, the Ugandan participants joined and the official summit began. The afternoon was spent with the participants getting to know each other and learning about each other's countries.

Monday, August 6, 2007
The morning started off with a series of icebreaker games with the American and Ugandan participants. For one of our activities we joined hands and created a human knot, which each group had to unravel without letting go of each other's hands. It was quite the bonding experience!

Following those activities, Dr. Martha Naludosa, a representative from the Ministry of Health, came to speak at the summit about the challenges facing the government in the context of health issues. She spoke about her experiences working in the Northern part of the country during the conflict, as well as her current experiences working
in the face of regular transportation and communication challenges.

The following speaker was Dr. Sophie Simons, a participant in GYPA's Helping Hands Medical Fellowship working with the community of Namuwongo Zone B, a slum located in the outskirts of Kampala. She spoke to the summit participants about the challenges she has faced and the successes she has accomplished working on various community health projects, and presented some challenging views concerning the role of foreign involvement in Ugandan development issues. Her presentation sparked much discussion amongst the group members and lead us into more formal small discussion groups which continued after lunch throughout the afternoon.

The Ugandans and Americans are enjoying interacting with each other and learning from the experiences of one another, and seeing that despite the many differences between the two countries, there are quite a few similarities! We are looking forward to the rest of the upcoming program, stay tuned to read about it!

July Global Ambassador Immersion officially closes in Kampala

2007-07-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

GYPA's seventh program in Uganda officially closed on Tuesday evening at Makerere University Business School. When asked to name the most memorable part of the program, participants overwhelming responded that they most enjoyed getting to know their Ugandan/American cohorts. It is always exciting to see the connections made and friendships formed over GYPA's programs, and the coming months will illustrate the commitment of this group of participants to their experiences in Uganda.

Center for Global Engagement and Refugee Law Project discuss the rules of long-term engagement

2007-07-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

“After three months in the field, you think you understand it all. After one year, it’s quite clear that you don’t understand anything.” – Chris Dolan

The closing panel discussion late Tuesday morning addressed issues of the rest of the world’s involvement in development activities in Africa. Nathaniel Whittemore and Susanna Cunningham of Northwestern University’s Center for Global Engagement, and Chris Dolan of Refugee Law Project, talked to the participants about long-term engagement in development work. After spending almost three weeks studying the conflict in northern Uganda, many participants are wondering “what’s next?”

The ensuing discussion focused on sustainability issues, impunity, challenges of assessment, the importance of horizontal networking and shifting to an asset-based perspective of development. Whittemore provided a suggested reading list for participants:

A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis (David Reiff)
To Hell with Good Intentions (speech by Ivan Illich)
Are These the New Colonialists? (Guardian article)
Putting the Last First (Robert Chambers)
Emma’s War (Deborah Scroggins)
A Guide for Self Reliant Participatory Rural Development (Stan Burkey)
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World (John Wood)
Acts of Faith (Eboo Patel)

A lesson in achieving sustainable peace from Refugee Law Project

2007-07-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Chris Dolan, Director of Refugee Law Project, met with participants Tuesday morning to talk about achieving a sustainable peace in Uganda. Dolan provided the participants with a clear timeline of the important events related to the peace process in northern Uganda, beginning with Betty Bigombe’s initial efforts in 1993 and ending with the current round of negotiations in Juba. Most importantly, he talked about his work with Refugee Law Project on Beyond Juba – a study analyzing all roots of conflict in Uganda. With a map drawn on the white board, participants were amazed at the visual representation of conflict in Uganda. The complexity of peace clearly extends beyond the Juba talks as other parts of Uganda deal with conflict (ie. Cattle raids in the Karamoja region, Acholi recruitment from camps to fight in DRC, etc.). This important clarification shifts the focus from northern Uganda alone to a more difficult and even more complex issue of achieving peace in the entire region.

June Cameroon Photos Available

2007-07-16T08:17:00.001-07:00

From meetings with national leaders to program social gatherings; see photos from our Cameroon trip here.

Break-dancing for social change

2007-07-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

On Monday evening, participants went to Nsambya Sharing Youth Center to participate in free break-dance classes arranged by Abramz, a Ugandan participant from January’s Global Kimeeza II. Abramz is a socially conscious hip hop and break-dance artist, who uses his art to resolve conflict, educate about health, build confidence and promote social interaction among otherwise idle youth. He started his project, Break-dance for Social Change Uganda, last year, and has since traveled all over the country holding free classes. They are particularly well-received and well-attended in the IDP camps in northern Uganda.

Monday evening classes at Nsambya are held on a veranda. Within an hour of our arrival, the place is flooded with children showing off their skills and waiting to learn the up-rock, down-rock, six step and baby freeze. The American and Ugandan participants were no exception! Like the sports for social change projects we visited in northern Uganda, break-dancing is an activity that builds confidence and keeps busy during the early evening – which does a great deal to prevent their participation in criminal activity and generally keep them out of danger.

Learning about art and development on the idyllic shores of Lake Victoria

2007-07-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

After a long, cramped bus ride back from Apac to Kampala (via Lira), the American participants were ecstatic to return to Kampala and relax for the evening. Monday’s visit to Nagenda International Academy of Art and Design (NIAAD) was a great way to start the week. NIAAD was started by Kizito Maria Kasule, a Ugandan artist that turned down offers for work abroad to return to his home country and build an arts academy. Kizito has financed the construction of the academy solely through the sale of his paintings – he anticipates that the academy will open in March of 2008.
Participants were seated in the nearly complete academy classroom, on woven mats with cups of loose tea and popcorn, surrounded by Kizito's beautiful oil paintings, which were propped against the walls. He provided a thoughtful overview of art history in Uganda, focusing on the destruction of traditional art during the colonial period, a renaissance with the establishment of Makerere University, and its steep decling under Idi Amin's brutal reign.

Kizito also discussed the need for practical-oriented education - an approach he is using in curriculum design for NIAAD. In response to problems of conflict and the separation between north and south in Uganda, NIAAD will also provide art therapy as a core subject, training Ugandans to excel in this vocation and contributing to the achievement of peace in the reconciliation process.

Participants visit Arocha boarding school to talk about education and have fun!

2007-07-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

Later Saturday afternoon, participants took traditional boda bodas (bicycles with a padded seat behind the rider) out to Arocha school, winding in a single file parade through the streets of Apac. Residents looked on with curiosity at the unusual sight. Participants arrived at the school and were greeted by hundreds of school kids assembled beneath a large tree in the middle of their classroom blocks.
Participants split off into groups with the students (ranging from Primary 2 to Primary 6) to talk about the importance of education in their lives, encouraging students to continue their studies. Following the discussions on education, the groups dispersed to the school fields to play games. Favorites were informal games of soccer, Duck Duck Goose, Red Rover and Shark Attack. Before departing the school, many participants exchanged contact information with students to be penpals from the U.S.

Trip to Apac district emphasizes the valuable combination of life skills training and sports

2007-07-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

Early Saturday morning amidst the morning fog and drizzle, the American participants departed Gulu for Apac, a two-and-a-half hour ride in a matatu on a rough dirt track road. The journey to Apac illustrates its remoteness – the down certainly lacks the bustling street life of Gulu. Upon arriving, participants were greeted enthusiastically by Howard Onyok social worker on a USAID funded program organized by The Kids League and partnering with GYPA. The program is a blend of life skills training and sports activities.

As the sun came out in Apac, participants walked down to the local soccer fields, where The Kids League was having an end of season tournament. The fields were packed with hundreds of kids watching and playing in soccer and netball games, competing for trophies set up on a large table. Howard escorted participants to the spectator tent, where they great seats to watch the games.

He later announced that GYPA would be assembling a team to play against one of the girls teams, which meant that American participants would have to organize themselves to play in front of hundreds of bemused Ugandan players and spectators. It seemed that all of Apac was watching! The girls took the field and demolished the GYPA team – 2-0!

During the game, leaflets were distributed with team statistics and messages about life skills – democracy, education, HIV/AIDS prevention, etc. – a documentation of the programs two-pronged approach to learning and recreation.

GYPA leaders close the Gulu portion of the Immersion

2007-07-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Gulu portion of the Immersion ended Thursday night with a reflection session and closing ceremony held at Hotel Kakanyero. Participants discussed the lessons learned and perspective gained by visiting the north, and discussed messages to bring back to both the Kampala participants and peers in the United States. The question of “What’s next?” is a critical one for Immersion participants to ask – one that the American participants will have to think more about in the coming week. After celebrating new friendships and making plans to stay in touch, participants said good-bye and prepared for the next portion of the Immersion – a trip to Apac district.

Participants travel to Paicho IDP camp

2007-07-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

Participants traveled to Paicho IDP camp on Friday morning to tour the camp with resident leaders and experience firsthand the conditions that have been called one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet. Lacere Richard, a Paicho resident that runs a small pharmacy and just completed his studies in nursing, led small groups of participants through the camp.

Paicho camp was established in 1996 and is home to about 11,000 displaced northern Ugandans, some half of which are children. Conditions are characteristic of the more impoverished camps in the region – conditions are congested, disease is rampant, residents lack security, children are malnourished, and there are precious few opportunities for earning an income. One of the biggest economic activities in the camp is the production (and consumption) of local brew.

However, with progress in the peace process, many of the adults in the camp have started returning to dig their ancestral lands. They leave in the morning and return to Paicho in the late afternoon. While this is a sign of hope for resettlement, it presents another layer of complexity in the already difficult situation – what about all of the unsupervised children in the camp? Participants noticed the high percentage of children running around the camp. After visiting Paicho, participants assembled in a large field to play impromptu games, providing entertainment and activity for the kids.

Participants learn the ins and outs of NGO work in northern Uganda through the Immersion Mentoring Program

2007-07-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

During the Immersion’s two-day mentoring program on Wednesday and Thursday in Gulu, participants were split into small groups and sent with several NGOs performing work related to the conflict. The brief program was designed to provide participants with a realistic portrait of the day-to-day activities and products of local NGO work. While some participants were thoroughly impressed with how much NGOs were able to accomplish with limited funds, others learned the important lesson that this work is not as glamorous as it might seem. They also learned the valuable lesson of strategic planning – many NGOs spread themselves too thin instead of concentrating on a specific geographic area or substantial focus. Adding in the factor of limited funding can really negate progress towards the well-meaning goals most NGOs hope to achieve. Overall, participants were pleased with the learning experience.

During the program, Information for Youth Empowerment Program (IYEP) provided participants with a firsthand view of their work assembling peace groups in the camps. Together they visited Anaka IDP camp and toured the conditions with Lucy, a formerly abducted young woman that was the wife of an LRA commander and a child mother. IYEP’s model incorporates traditional Acholi dance and drama as a vehicle for both preserving the culture and building peace and stability in the region. At Anaka camp, participants were entertained with a demonstration of these activities.

Tasting a bit of the local flavor at Binen and Bora Bora

2007-07-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night the American participants dined together at Binen, a restaurant in Gulu serving local cuisine. What is the local cuisine like in Gulu? The northern Ugandan diet consists of a solid base of starchy foods – sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, rice, cassava, and millet. Stews with goat meat or chicken and broth are common and often served with rice. Binen captures the local flavor with malakwang, a dish of bitter greens mixed with a ground nut paste and typically served with rice or potatoes.

Most all of the participants looked forward to the breakfast tea at Bora Bora, which is a spicy take on traditional milk tea. Bora Bora adds masala spices to their tea, which gives it a very strong ginger flavor. Perfect for dunking rock buns or fried doughnuts from the local bakery!

GYPA/CAMYOSFOP EU-AU Training Gets Local and International News Coverage

2007-07-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Cameroon Post publishes news on the 'youth perspective' training workshop that took place in Yaounde during the Cameroon Immersion Program.

The program also received international coverage on the AU-EU public consultation website.

Representatives from an organization started by formerly abducted child soldiers address students

2007-07-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

Moses Okello was abducted by the LRA and was the sole survivor among 25 classmates that were abducted as a group. Upon returning to the community, he saw a greater need for formerly abducted child soldiers to actively support their peers. The product of this idea is the Information for Youth Empowerment Program (IYEP), a local NGO that works in IDP camps to form peace groups. The program seeks to empower returnees, a group that has faced discrimination from the community, by training them to provide outreach in the camps. IYEP is on their way to forming 30 peace groups this year alone, in addition to providing life skills training, working with child mothers, and dealing with education issues.