Hope and Suffering

After spending the weekend on safari in one of Uganda's most beautiful national parks, something I will never forget, I have arrived in a town called Kitgum in Northern Uganda. Here AVSI has its largest base of operations. The countryside is littered with IDP ( Internally Displaced People ) Camps. These camps are home to thousands of Ugandans who have fled their homes during the great unrest and violence of the past few decades. Now they live in extreme poverty, forced to live their lives in a 10 by 10 foot hut with...nothing. AVSI is trying to help these people in every way possible by not just offering emergency aid but also creating a base for development.
I had the chance to visit one of the local organizations supported by AVSI called Meeting Point. This group came in to being during the mid-eighties when HIV/AIDS was sweeping across Uganda and most of the world. Started by people with the virus it now offers support to those who need it most. I traveled to their new headquarters, a modest building on the outskirts of town. Here I interviewed one of the founding members before traveling to one of the local camps where Meeting Point meets with both adults and children with the virus. They handed out soap and sugar and talked about their lives. To meet these people was an amazing experience but it could not prepare me for what I experienced next. We traveled to another camp and, after weaving our way through the many huts we arrived at one where a 24 year old woman lived. She was very ill. Even though her body was extremly frail you could still see that she was a very beautiful woman. The hope that she had been given by Meeting Point was visable in everyway, she sat up and spoke to us, even smiling as she chatted with her friends. I am honoured to be able to show the hope that these people have and I know that whoever eventually sees these things I document, can never say they dont need our help in every way possible.

Doing What I Do Best.

Today I finally got to shoot some footage. I traveled across the capital to a camp for children who have been arrested for crimes and are awaiting trial. They stay at this camp taking classes and learning trades ( Thanks to AVSI ) until their court date arrives. The crimes vary from murder and rape to petty theft and minor offences. AVSI has helped to give these children something to do while they wait, such as woodwork workshops and classes in English, Math etc. Despite the reasons for these kids being here the place was very relaxed and almost cheerful. There was a great sense of hope among all the inmates. My guide, Martin has helped to counsel the children and offer them aid as far as locating their families and also relocating them to schools in the area if they are freed.
We then moved on to visit a high school where children are taught skills that will help them to find a job. Classes consist of Carpentry, Metal working, Construction and English to name a few. The students spend two years learning these trades which greatly increase their chances of getting a job. The school was founded by a member of AVSI and multiple NGOs now help to maintain it. It was a wonderful place to visit and experience.
I have only been here two days and already I am feeling very at home, everyone is friendly and charming. Last night I went out for drinks and ate some amazing french food, I am told there is no such thing as a Ugandan restaurant.
I leave for the north tomorrow so this may be my last post for a bit, but we will see.

What an Arrival!

Well I have made it. After 20 hours + travel I am in Uganda. But what an adventure it has been. I arrived late last night at around 11:30pm Ugandan time, the air was warm and sticky but a nice breeze blew across the runway. After getting my Visa at the one room airport I headed out into the darkness to meet but waiting driver to take me to the city. As I trekked towards the meeting area I was greeted by about 20 men asking if I needed a taxi, At first I said no and told them I was waiting for someone. One man offered to call the person picking me up so I gave him the number. No answer. So I waited some more. After 20 minutes I decided to walk over to the other car park and see if anyone was there. As I approached a man coming towards me said "AVSI?", or that's what I thought he said so I replied enthusiastically "YES, AVSI" He took one of my bags and we headed over to his car. The drive took about 20 minutes from Entebbe to Kampala, the capital and it was amazing to look at the window and see the stars. The driver drove as if he was taking part in a rally race but I was so tired and sick of sitting on a plane it was kind of fun. When we arrived in the city the driver turned to me and asked " where are you going" I slowly turned to him and said, "AVSI, I was told you would pick me up and take me to the hostel" He replied " Oh, no. I am a taxi driver". We both laughed but my heart was beating fairly quick now. I pulled out my small notebook and gave him an address I had for the offices, he said he knew the road and quickly turned around. We drove to a local taxi park and he asked a friend if he knew the place. " Opposite the US Embassy". We thanked him and drove back up the road. I had made it. I paid the driver and we both laughed again about the misunderstanding. I was met by a young woman and she showed me to my room, the power was out so she used her cell phone to guide me. I finally put down my bags and went to sleep. The next morning, being this morning I awoke and headed over to the office to meet my guide, Valentina Frigerio. She has informed me, over a cup of coffee, or a few cups, that I will be traveling to the north of the country for most of my trip to a city called Gulu. Here I will travel from place to place interviewing and documenting the work that has gone into rebuilding this area. I hope to post more info on this as I travel. As Internet is slow here I may not be able to post as much as I would like but I will do my best.
But now I must go an read, this is the start of something great!

PS also excuse any typos in my typing but the keyboard I am using is in Italian.

Departure

So the day has arrived, well almost. Tomorrow I leave for Uganda and I can't wait! I hope that this Blog will let anyone interested, stay up to date with what I am doing. Please visit the AVSI website to find out more about this amazing organization that I am so honoured to be working with.
www.avsi-usa.org