On the plane trip over to Uganda, I found myself suddenly racked with fear. The service trip which I had so looked forward to was finally becoming a reality—I was going to Africa, which is always portrayed by the media as the land of disease and war. Before the trip, we had theorized and philosophized about what it would be like, speaking of our trip’s goals in abstract terms like “solidarity.” When our plane had finally touched down on the continent, and I entered into what seemed like a different world, I did not know if our terms would hold any real significance.

Though my fears were not unfounded, I had a more or less pleasurable week, once I acclimated to our environment. Staying at the orphanage, we played games with the children, met important community members, and participated in the spontaneous dance parties that seemed to spring out of nowhere. It was all very joyful, but the moment that I will remember for the rest of my life did not occur until one of the most seemingly insignificant points of the trip; we were getting our passports checked between the Ugandan and Rwandan border when I saw her. There was no thunderbolt or earthquake, just a woman who was afflicted with Elephantitis, a parasite which enflames the feet and chafes the skin. This causes them to degenerate to the point that they almost resemble elephant’s skin, hence the name. The woman only had one foot left, and she hobbled around on makeshift stick-crutches. When I first glimpsed at the remaining foot, the cracked and graying skin literally made me sick, and I gagged. I went the longest route back to our bus just to avoid her and quickly put socks on over my sandals in case whatever she had was catching. I thought I had successfully averted her, yet just as we departed, she had slowly crept over to the pool of tourists.

My first encounter with this woman paralleled the plane ride over to Uganda. I did not wish to breech her dignity, but again fear welled in my throat. She needed money and I knew that was why she had come, so I reached into my bag, grasped the first coin I could find and flung it into her hand, being mindful not to allow our palms to graze one another. And then it happened: our eyes met. Though I had viewed her several times before she appeared at our bus, I did not truly see her until just then. Her eyes were beautiful and serene, sullied by sorrow, but resonated with a type of indescribable vitality. Though I never touched her, she touched me. I saw that she was not much older then I was and from her torso up, she was a beautiful woman. Her body, like an hour glass, will evaporate slowly but surely, grain by grain; so will mine. The memory of this woman will always serve as a reminder to me of our ephemeral nature, which can be time spent in grace.

The history leading up to the conflict in Northern Uganda is a complex mixture of oppression, resentment, and fear. The basis of the war is rooted in an unfair divide between the North and the South, although the original spark has been all but lost after two decades of war.

When tracing back to the initial cause, it is important to note that the Southern Ugandans were typically wealthier than the Northerners, the Alcholis tribe. As a result, many more southerners held office jobs than northerners. Likewise, the universities were filled with students who were mostly from the south, rather than the north, where people seemed to be forever tied to working the fields. As a result, resentment took hold. When a president from the south, Yoweri Museveni, came into power, the northerners' situations further worsened, as the people felt even more helpless.

The Alcholis seemed to be looking for a savior to liberate them from the alleged tyranny of the government. Joseph Kony had been viewed as a prophet in his community since he was only twelve years old. He was a Catholic alter boy and convinced people that he was guided by the Ten Commandments to fight for change. He covered his body with shea butter, and told people that he and his army, the Lord’s Resistance Army, would not be hurt by bullets when they fought to overthrow the government.

However noble his war seemed to be, its mission quickly decayed, and he began to brutalize his own people. Without a large enough army, Mr.Kony and his troops began abducting children to use as their soldiers. One commander claimed that one of the reasons the children are used in place of adult soldiers is that “Child soldiers are ideal because they don’t complain, they don’t expect to be paid and if you tell them to kill, they kill.”

On August 26th, 2006, peace agreements finally began. However, even two years later, the final agreements have not been completed. On April 10th, Mr. Kony skipped a peace meeting with Alcholi elders. If General Kony does not make an appearance to sign the final agreement, the Ugandan government has threatened that it will launch new military attacks. Mr.Kony has said that he will not sign the agreement because “…if he does, [he] is sure he will be taken to Europe and hanged,” said his correspondant, Dr Aliker. His fear of death is not entirely unfounded. As much as he dreads being brought to justice by European powers, Kony recognizes that he would probably perish under Ugandan law, as well.
Mr.Kony is still backed by the Sudanese government, where it is supposed that he is hiding in the jungle with 60 child wives. It is now thought that he may be moving towards the Central African Republic. Though the peace efforts had been hopeful for some time, sources have quoted him saying that it would be better to die fighting than to surrender and meet death at the hands of his enemies. In the meantime, the long-awaited peace appears to heading further and further out of sight.

The history leading up to the conflict in Northern Uganda is a complex mixture of oppression, resentment, and fear. The basis of the war is rooted in an unfair divide between the North and the South, although the original spark has been all but lost after two decades of war.

When tracing back to the initial cause, it is important to note that the Southern Ugandans were typically wealthier than the Northerners, the Alcholis tribe. As a result, many more southerners held office jobs than northerners. Likewise, the universities were filled with students who were mostly from the south, rather than the north, where people seemed to be forever tied to working the fields. As a result, resentment took hold. When a president from the south, Yoweri Museveni, came into power, the northerner’s situations further worsened, as the people felt even more helpless.
The Alcholis seemed to be looking for a savior to liberate them from the alleged tyranny of the government. Joseph Kony had been viewed as a prophet in his community since he was only twelve years old. He was a Catholic alter boy and convinced people that he was guided by the Ten Commandments to fight for change. He covered his body with shea butter, and told people that he and his army, the Lord’s Resistance Army, would not be hurt by bullets when they fought to overthrow the government.
However noble his war seemed to be, its mission quickly decayed, and he began to brutalize his own people. Without a large enough army, Mr.Kony and his troops began abducting children to use as their soldiers. One commander claimed that one of the reasons the children are used in place of adult soldiers is that “Child soldiers are ideal because they don’t complain, they don’t expect to be paid and if you tell them to kill, they kill.”
On August 26th, 2006, peace agreements finally began. However, even two years later, the final agreements have not been completed. On April 10th, Mr. Kony skipped a peace meeting with Alcholi elders. If General Kony does not make an appearance to sign the final agreement, the Ugandan government has threatened that it will launch new military attacks. Mr.Kony has said that he will not sign the agreement because “…if he does, [he] is sure he will be taken to Europe and hanged,” said his correspondant, Dr Aliker. His fear of death is not entirely unfounded. As much as he dreads being brought to justice by European powers, Kony recognizes that he would probably perish under Ugandan law, as well.
Mr.Kony is still backed by the Sudanese government, where it is supposed that he is hiding in the jungle with 60 child wives. It is now thought that he may be moving towards the Central African Republic. Though the peace efforts had been hopeful for some time, sources have quoted him saying that it would be better to die fighting than to surrender and meet death at the hands of his enemies. In the meantime, the long-awaited peace appears to heading further and further out of sight.