Uganda Part 3—Picking up the pieces

Watching War Dance recently, reminded me of my trip to Uganda three years ago. I was shocked to realize how quickly I had lost sight of the situation there. The media has forgotten about the tragedy in Northern Uganda, and in a way so had I. As I looked through many of my pictures from that trip, I was compelled to look into what's happened in the last couple of years.

If you don't know about the situation in Uganda, a rebel group called the LRA has been terrorizing Northern Uganda for the last 20 years—killing and mutilating villagers, and kidnapping an estimated 20,000 children to be soldiers and sex slaves—forcing hundreds of thousands of people into government protected camps. The Juba Peace Initiative is making steps to end the conflict and resettle the displaced. But with the Final Peace Agreement yet unsigned, the situation is precarious. Families struggle with the decision whether to remain in the camps in relative safety but completely dependent on international aid, or to move back to their ancestral lands to try to make a living and put themselves at risk for more violence.

Life is hard for children in and out of the camps. Former child soldiers struggle to integrate back into community life, children are left to fend for themselves while their parents walk long distances every day to farm, and all are vulnerable to abuse and lack of education. When I visited some camps around Lira three years ago, this was already the case, and I'm afraid that not much has changed for many of the children there. Here are a few more images from that trip.


The look on this boy's face still haunts me. I saw him at a food distribution at an IDP camp outside of Lira. What hardship has he seen in his short life?


Former child soldiers at the Rachele Rehabilitation Centre. Used as slave labour they likely witnessed brutalities that we can only imagine.


It's estimated that over 2,000 children have been born in the LRA. This baby was fortunate to be born at Rachele Centre rather than in the bush. His mother will have many challenges to overcome.


Babies caring for babies, while surviving family members work long hours to eke out a meagre living.


This little girl carrying her sibling on her back shaded from the hot sun by the gourd.


Hope for the future in these curious boys.

I stole my title from an excellent video posted on IRIN. Visit www.irinnews.org/film and look for Picking up the pieces (Northern Uganda)