Walking with the night

« Megaslums

A professional beggar »

Poverty

Posted by Justin Long ⋅ July 2, 2006 ⋅

Email This Post ⋅

Print This Post ⋅ View comments

Uganda is a country plagued with incredible poverty and entrenched spiritism and nearly gutted by a 19-year civil war. Over 13 million children have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS. Thousands of children have been dragged into slavery by the rebels in the north. The level of child abuse and negligence has increased drastically, including child rape, forced marriages, child labor and domestic violence. Many children have dropped out of school and deserted their homes.

The combination of poverty, AIDS, and war have been overwhelming for this nation. For nearly two decades the people of northern Uganda have endured a horrific war largely unnoticed by the rest of the world. Over 1,000 civilians died every week and more than 1.5 million people (80% of the northern population) fled their homes in fear. Hundreds of thousands of people have been moved into “protected villages”—camps where many die from preventable diseases. Perhaps worst of all, tens of thousands of children have been abducted and more have fled.

The war was launched by Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel paramilitary group operating mainly in northern Uganda. He believed himself to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ and a spirit medium, but with little support in the population for his ideal millennial government, he resorted to a war of atrocity. The civil war is one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts. The LRA have been accused of widespread human rights violations, including the abduction of civilians, the use of child soldiers and a number of massacres.

Since 1986, over 20,000 boys and girls have been abducted by the LRA. Once in captivity, boys are forced to loot and burn villages and torture and kill neighbors. Abducted girls are routinely raped and become sex slaves or “wives” of rebel commanders. All witness unimaginable atrocities and many do not survive.

Around northern Uganda, little children and adults who don’t find a safe place at night are in danger. People who are found by the rebels can be burnt to death, or beyond recognition. Body parts are cut off — noses, lips, ears, fingers. To avoid this, thousands of children in Northern Uganda each night walk miles to safer villages and towns where they find a place to sleep—usually in the open. Then, the next morning, they walk home. They have become known as the “Night Walkers.”

In an encouraging development towards the end of 2005, the International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted leaders of the LRA and 5 arrest warrants have been issued. The Ugandan government believes the LRA is weakened and ready to make peace and in April 2006 announced plans to begin to resettle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in camps, backed by a budget allocation of over $2.1 million. Aid agencies have pledged to support the resettlement exercise although they have expressed concerns about security.

The enduring conflict in northern Uganda has been a serious barrier to poverty alleviation. Nearly 40% of Uganda’s budget comes from aid, but the north has been largely closed to aid agencies. It lags behind all other areas in the nation: adult illiteracy rate of 54% compared to the national average of 37%, people without access to health facilities at 35%, compared to the national average of 26%, and the highest probability at birth of not surviving to the age of 40 years.

Through no fault of their own, the children of Uganda are among the poorest of the world. Here is an opportunity for Christians to fulfill their role as heirs to the covenant with Abraham, and “be a blessing” (Genesis 12). Thankfully many are stepping up to the challenge but more needs to be done. n