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Tegotatoo is an Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) Camp located in Northern Uganda, Gulu District, about 40 minutes drive east of Gulu town. Named for the hill that sits to one side, it became home to thousands during the war (although it was actually one of the smaller camps). Now that people have begun returning to their lands it is less crowded but still home to many. Even the camp was attacked during the war and it doesn't take long to see the evidence: pained faces, missing men and working age, people struggling to survive and feed their families. Some have obviously given up on life, while others are hopeful; they struggle but still manage to maintain a joyous hope. The people are lovely. Their stories are amazing. There is change under way– it's fascinating.
Te-got-atoo literally means under the hill of death. During the war, the LRA camped on top of the hill. If one ventured near the hill, they would not return. Now there are a few military huts stationed on top of the hill. We took a walk up the hill one day. It is a lovely view and one can see quite far. We pray that the hill becomes one known for peace.
Mama Margaret is the mother of three sponsored children. One day, her hut was marked with many others one day with a white paint (right). The government wants to close the camps. Rumor had it that they were planning to demolish the homes whether or not there were people living inside. Mama Margaret’s husband died in the war and she has trouble with one of her legs. Despite her family land being close by, she had no one to help with the building of the hut. Every Child Ministries identified sponsored families unable to move out of the camp and partnered with them to build the walls of their hut (apparently roofing and flooring are more feasible for a single mom). Mama Margaret was first to get a hut. As we visited her new hut, there was a true sense of finally returning home as she showed us where her husband was buried and where her eldest daughter was born (left).
Unschooled Kids Class – Every Thursday just before noon, we held class for children that were not able to go to school but wanted to come learn. We met under the thatched roof built as a meeting place for the church. Some days we had to chase the cows out from under it to have class, their long horns tearing at the roofing. Class would vary from 30-90 kids with about 50 school-aged being typical. In addition, many would bring younger siblings that they were in charge of for the day. A 5 year old could be in charge of an infant while mom was in the fields tending their crops. Despite some distractions, the children were enthusiastic about learning and tried to work at what we teaching. Jackelyn, a girl about 11 years old would stand bent over to practice her writing while using her knee to write on and bouncing her fussy baby sibling on her back. Progress was slow with kids coming and going, and only meeting once a week but there was progress. It was a very tiring class but we got to share with the kids, love them, and help them learn. It also helped build relationships with others in the community.
ZION Project Class – This class was made up of kids in the ZION Project, an organization that has a rehabilitation program for women and children affected by the war. At the time they had one house of Acholi women with kids and another of Congolese girls who's mothers desired more for them than the prostitution they had been forced into (the organization also ministers to these women). Despite the extremely difficult pasts that these kids had, they are loving and full of joy. They worked hard at what we were teaching and we saw them slowly progress. Most had never been exposed to school and were slow at understanding at first. We became very close - particularly with the Congolese girls. Since we lived close-by we were able stay later after class to play, pray, sing worship, and dance. It is beautiful to hear them pray. God used us to love on these girls and to give hope to their mothers. God used them to hug on us back and encourage us during difficult times. The girls are now able to go to school. I know that our time together has helped to prepare them and ease that transition.
Sponsored Kids Class – This class met twice a week and had about twenty kids from levels 1, 2, and 3 in the local school. We worked with these kids the most and saw the most progress. We began with how to write their names (as almost none were able to recognize it) and by the end a few were able to read and write their first words on their own! We got to know these kids well and would spend time outside of class playing and singing. Parents responded about the changes they were seeing in their kids. A father came and bent over backwards to make sure we were taken care of when we got a flat motorcycle tire – he said even if he had to buy us a new tube. James (back row, middle-ish), a quiet boy in level 2, would go home and teach his mother and family what he had learned in our class that day. We got to see many of the mothers commit to Christ.
Every Saturday all the sponsored kids meet together at the school for Saturday Club. During this time there are games, a Bible lesson, handing out of supplies, food, first aid, announcements, and general checking up on and mentoring the kids. One student, Okot Michael, got sponsored just a couple weeks after I got to Uganda. He was known as a bit of a trouble maker during the kids camp we had with the team the first two weeks in Gulu. Getting to go to school turned him around. In class, he participated well and was always attentive. In this photo he is (front row, left) receiving his school supplies for the new school term. He is receiving the only pair of shoes I have ever seen him wear. While some kids sometimes still went barefoot, Okot Michael wore his shoes daily as they completed his school uniform. It was moving to watch him take advantage of the opportunities he was given and see the changes being made in his life. I admit it changed the way I viewed child sponsorship.
TEAM GULU: these are the workers with Every Child Ministries in Gulu during the time I was there and are part of my Ugandan family.
Simon (left) began as our main translator and worker with the kids. During our time there he was promoted to Program Director.
Mary (next to Simon) works as the bookkeeper, helps translate, work, and mentor the kids and families.
Sarah (middle front), from Tennessee, spent the same 5 months and co-taught with me.
Patrick aka Pato (middle back) came on as a translator and teaching helper when Simon was promoted.
Christine (far right), from Milwaukee, came on with a two year commitment and temporarily took on the Area Director roll.
-Since this photo was taken, the Gulu team has changed except Simon, Mary, and I.
Tegot Primary School is the school to about 650 students. The student teacher ratio is roughly 100:1. It has become a meeting place for many of the things Every Child Ministries does. Towards the end of last year the school gave a classroom to ECM in a partnership to turn it into a library and community center. ECM has since fixed up the room in preparation and begun the process. This room will be a great resource for the community, the school, and for the organization. I am very excited to use it for programs and a place to give access to books!!!
Besides interacting with the people in the camp and in the programs we run, it is exciting to meet people all over town and in the places we frequent. Photo (right) is Walter, a friend we made at a coffee and internet shop. He came with us to the camp one day to see what we were involved in. The man (left) is a man I met while visiting a friend tending his mother's shop. He told me the story of how he had been abducted as a child during the war and spent years in the rebel army before he could escape. He now works with an organization that is teaching him to make small bags (like the one he is giving me [one of his first]) and Ugandan paper bead jewelry. It struck me how contented and excited he seemed after the horrors he went through. He really seemed to feel the freedom and new peace being experienced in the area. He knows what it means.
Simon (my coworker and Ugandan brother) one day invited me to be a maid in his father and stepmother’s wedding. A bit shy at first (he must be joking as I haven't even met his stepmother), I agreed. He wasn't joking and I was a maid in the wedding. The maid in their wedding is slightly different than our bridesmaid as only the “maid of honor” position actually stands with her in the ceremony. Our roll was to look nice while walking the aisle and to help serve cake at the reception. It was a very interesting and fun experience as a whole. People appreciated the “colorfulness” of the wedding party.
A couple of times we spent a night with our families. We stayed a night with Mama Margaret and kids in the camp and another night about 3 miles walk at Aol's family's home. They had resettled back onto their land. They are a very sweet family and were very excited to have us. It was there that I discovered one of my favorite Acholi traditions. Wang Oo literally means a gathering place for enjoyment. It is family time. Every night when it begins to get dark the whole family will gather around a campfire under the stars. There they tell stories, teach lessons, solve riddles, and joke while perhaps working on harvesting sesame seeds from their pods or shelling peanuts. Beautiful. (and yes, we are being presented with a chicken in this photo.)
I had a great experience in N.Uganda; I finally got to be where I feel called and I look forward to returning. Beyond the hurts and needs is a beautiful people wanting Jesus. He is there and working among them.
