A few notes:
Angeline is well - she visited her midwife and is better. Saturday I spent the afternoon at her house with her two boys and we had lunch and then I took her into market to have a dress made for her. If she can slaughter the chicken, then I can pay for a dress. She picked out her favorite material and designed the entire thing with the tailor; she only has 2 dresses so I wanted to thank her for her fabulous self in the most practical way that I could think of. We will most likely pick it up tomorrow, I am excited to see it - she totally had them design her ideal princess dress and it's going to be wonderful!
I went to church yesterday with one of the IC staff, Jared at Watato Church, yes this is one of the partners churches of the Watato Children's Choir, afterwards I attempted to upload pictures and then went to Acholi Inn and hung out for awhile with some IC staff (Jared, Andrew, James) - it was nice to chat with some of the boys - 9 women in one space can drive me a bit batty... Last night we all went to Tom and Rose's house - how can I explain the life story of these amazing people. Tom and Rose grew up in Gulu and were deeply involved in politics - through a myriad of insane events they were able to escape the country at the beginning of the war in 1986 with their 8 children. Tom sat and told us the most unbelievable happenings of his experiences. He and Rose recently returned to Gulu to live out the rest of their lives. They are financially very well off and live on this amazing farm in a Western style home. This is the same home that Tom grew up on, that his mother lived at for all of her days, and the same home that they had to flee when Kony and the LRA began their attacks. I can't say enough how I adore the spirit of the Acholi people. I asked some questions in regards to trauma because a week ago someone told us that the entire nation was traumatized from the war, and I can only wonder as the economy attempt to break onto a rehabilitation plane, how do the people emotionally heal? So all 14 of us (Group One and some IC staff) were sitting in the family room, tiled floor, in a circle listening to the underpinnings of deep culture: Acholi people are very reconciliatory (sp) - they believe that if one commits a crime and they confess to it, then they will be forgiven; all the while the entire family of the perpetrator will bear the burden of guilt. In this war though, victims were perpetrators and perpetrators were victims - there is not linear division between the two - also, now, they would rather take the peace that they have then attempt to find and accuse those who committed crimes. Think of this: neighbors killed neighbors - individuals knew the people who were violating them and now they live "next door" to those same individuals - it is an interesting sense of Justice that they choose peace and internalized trauma over seeking conversation, after all, where would one begin? Humanity: And the rules are?
Daily I see this world in that same tension - deep poverty yet most people have a cell phone. You may live in a hut but you can call your neighbor or text her. Digital photos can now be printed, while people beg in the streets. Electricity thrives on a farm, while darkness settles on the streets. It is a fascinating world of opposites to walk through Gulu town - is this development? Access? Education is "free" while the schools charge fees for uniforms. Signs are found everywhere while the illiteracy rate rages. The South is discriminatory of the North. Land is divided, conquered and resold. NGO's are rampant seeking to "help" - and we all know where that mentality leads. Just yesterday this woman was sitting next to me and inquired of the length of my stay. Upon my response I made the mistake of asking of her work here. She replied that she runs an organization that seeks to provide vocational training for adults. This is what "they need here" is what she said (all the while I was thinking and wondering if she was aware of the deep stigma stamped upon those schools and those who attend them) - she continued to inform me that to receive the training the adults MUST take English classes AND attend a Bible study. To this I wondered where the stipulation was set in the Word that compassion required attendance. I kept silent during my musings and clearly understood why Amy had told me in previous days why she does not inquire of other non-Nationalists work: it might set you on fire with frustration.
So here I sit: Adidas pants, white T-shirt, sunglasses in a newly opened cafe' (American owned) that opens to a dirt street, muddied alleyways, foreign languages and African waiting.
Belonging
Longing to Be
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