If you'd like to help support either the OCA Computer Centre or the African Child in Need Street Kids Centre, you can do so by donating to an organization called Chi-ki Children's Charity.
Click here to see the three payment options available (sending a cheque, depositing directly into the Chi-ki bank account, or online via Paypal). Simply note where you would like your money to go: the options are African Child in Need or Orphans for Christ Computer Centre. (If you're submitting a donation via Paypal - please make sure you e-mail Sylvia the name of the project you'd like your funds earmarked to, so that they're applied accordingly!)
Donations to the computer lab help pay for teachers salaries, rent, educational supplies, and electricity. Donations to the street kids centre go directly towards school fees for the boys (approximately $600 per boy per year), food and hygiene supplies, and the centre's rent.
Chi-ki is a registered charity and tax receipts will be issued for contributions in Canada and/or the United States.
Canadian Charity#: 837976273RR0001
USA: 501(c)3 EIN #: 30-0394759
Additionally, GuluWalk has a walk every year in 17 cities in Canada, 28 cities in the USA and 14 cities globally - this is an 11 km walk to raise funds for abandoned children of Northern Uganda. This year's walk is on October 25th, 2008. In support of the victims of the LRA conflict, of those who commuted every night to escape abduction, of the 1.5 million who are still displaced today, collect your pledges and get walking - you can walk solo, join an existing team, or create your own team.
I'll be at the Toronto Walk - email me if you'd like to join my team. GuluWalk is an endeavour of a charity called Athletes For Africa, and has already raised $1M in support for the children of Northern Uganda in previous years.
Showing posts with label Gulu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gulu. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Day Six: Gulu
Gulu is the second largest town by population in Uganda. It houses a sizeable military base, which used primarily for operations against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The last 21 years here have been war-ridden, with several attacks by the LRA. During the times of conflict, tens of thousands of children would flee from their neighbouring villages into Gulu each night for safety. Millions of people in the district were displaced by the war -though the LRA is not operating in Uganda today, probably about one million people are still living in displacement camps around Gulu, trying to earn enough to restart their lives.
I have learned a lot about this conflict before coming here, and my heart goes out to these people. I am dying to visit a camp, to talk to the people I've learned so much about. (You can watch a great documentary called Invisible Children: Rough Cut, about the LRA conflict here for free; and in fact, you should.)
Unfortunately, our time in Gulu is actually very short lived and kind of disappointing; we are running behind (ah, Africa time) if we are going to catch our scheduled ferry to Murchison Falls. Instead of making our stop at an IDP camp as we thought, our van pulls up at House of Hope orphanage, a home for children orphaned by either HIV/AIDS, or the war in Northern Uganda. Thirty three children live here, many of whom, we are told, have personally witnessed the deaths of their parents at the hands of the LRA. I can't even imagine.
The orphanage is run by an evangelical grey haired white lady from Texas, and feels a bit like a child brainwashing centre. The children are well taken care of, for sure; they're just also being indoctrinated with the word of Christ from a very, very young age, which is something pretty foreign to me, personally. (And, it's true that I'm disappointed that we're not going to an IDP camp, which is the whole reason I wanted to come to Gulu in the first place, so this is definitely skewing my perception.) Of course, in addition to the Bible, the orphanage staff are teaching the kids other things too: life skills (especially in farming and agriculture), and good values. The children are happy and healthy. They have clothes; they eat well; they go school; they know love. I'm quite sure they get a ton of funding and support from American churches.
The orphanage feeds us - yes, an orphanage feeds us! It's actually one of the better Ugandan meals we've had so far, too. We ask that they review the donations and give what they don't need to the IDPs, and they understand, and assure us that they will. We pray with them about four times. The children say "Hallelujah" and "Amen" about fifty times.
We pass some IDP camps on the road. It sucks that we don't get to see one up close, but at least some of the victims of a conflict I've learned so much about over the last few months are the recipients of Softchoice's donations. I wish it were minus the evangelical Christianity, but I know their hearts are in the right place, and what really matters is that someone cares enough about these children to help them.
I am reminded today that roughly 50% of the population of the entire country of Uganda is under 15 years old - this is mind blowing to me. There is such need here. What is going to happen to these kids?
En route to Murchison Falls National Park now - we'll have missed our ferry by the time we'd arrive at the docking area, so we are taking the long route into the park on some of the worst roads ever. We've almost been in 3 accidents already, have passed a couple of wrecks so far on the roadside shoulders, and we are bouncing all over the road. My tailbone is numb, my knees are throbbing, and as usual, I have a lot on my mind. As it turns out, I might be ready for this cushy lodge after all.
I have learned a lot about this conflict before coming here, and my heart goes out to these people. I am dying to visit a camp, to talk to the people I've learned so much about. (You can watch a great documentary called Invisible Children: Rough Cut, about the LRA conflict here for free; and in fact, you should.)
Unfortunately, our time in Gulu is actually very short lived and kind of disappointing; we are running behind (ah, Africa time) if we are going to catch our scheduled ferry to Murchison Falls. Instead of making our stop at an IDP camp as we thought, our van pulls up at House of Hope orphanage, a home for children orphaned by either HIV/AIDS, or the war in Northern Uganda. Thirty three children live here, many of whom, we are told, have personally witnessed the deaths of their parents at the hands of the LRA. I can't even imagine.
The orphanage is run by an evangelical grey haired white lady from Texas, and feels a bit like a child brainwashing centre. The children are well taken care of, for sure; they're just also being indoctrinated with the word of Christ from a very, very young age, which is something pretty foreign to me, personally. (And, it's true that I'm disappointed that we're not going to an IDP camp, which is the whole reason I wanted to come to Gulu in the first place, so this is definitely skewing my perception.) Of course, in addition to the Bible, the orphanage staff are teaching the kids other things too: life skills (especially in farming and agriculture), and good values. The children are happy and healthy. They have clothes; they eat well; they go school; they know love. I'm quite sure they get a ton of funding and support from American churches.
We have four hockey bags full of donations we have brought to Gulu, hoping to leave in a camp. Since there is no time, we spread them out on the floor at the orphanage instead, and Dean gives a touching speech that makes the best of what we are all feeling. We show the kids some examples of what is in the bags. They stare, and look almost expressionless. I don't see many even crack much of a smile. Next we hand out toothbrushes, which we realize they probably already have. One of the supervisors says something in Acholi to the kids, and they all smile and clap. We feel a bit uneasy knowing there are others who clearly need this stuff more than these kids, but aren't sure what to do about it.
The orphanage feeds us - yes, an orphanage feeds us! It's actually one of the better Ugandan meals we've had so far, too. We ask that they review the donations and give what they don't need to the IDPs, and they understand, and assure us that they will. We pray with them about four times. The children say "Hallelujah" and "Amen" about fifty times.
We pass some IDP camps on the road. It sucks that we don't get to see one up close, but at least some of the victims of a conflict I've learned so much about over the last few months are the recipients of Softchoice's donations. I wish it were minus the evangelical Christianity, but I know their hearts are in the right place, and what really matters is that someone cares enough about these children to help them.
I am reminded today that roughly 50% of the population of the entire country of Uganda is under 15 years old - this is mind blowing to me. There is such need here. What is going to happen to these kids?
En route to Murchison Falls National Park now - we'll have missed our ferry by the time we'd arrive at the docking area, so we are taking the long route into the park on some of the worst roads ever. We've almost been in 3 accidents already, have passed a couple of wrecks so far on the roadside shoulders, and we are bouncing all over the road. My tailbone is numb, my knees are throbbing, and as usual, I have a lot on my mind. As it turns out, I might be ready for this cushy lodge after all.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Day Five: More babies!
Back volunteering with the babies today - though I actually spend a large part of the day helping with the laundry, which is where the home really needs the most help. My non-glamorous responsibilities include pre-scrubbing various baby stains off lots and lots and lots of baby clothes before they go into the washing machine. The clothes are all donated, and some make me laugh, like the "My Grandma Went To Aruba And All She Brought Me Back Was This Stupid T-Shirt" shirt I remember a little girl named Angela wearing the last time I was here. It's not funny at all though, really, when you think about it. Angela probably never even knew her grandmother, and there's no way in hell she ever went to Aruba.
I do get to hang out with the babies during feeding time though. I really like this one kid, a one year old boy with a smile that would melt your heart, and big, bright eyes, and bumps all over his face. He is adorable. I teach him "give me five", and he thinks it is the best thing ever.
We stop at another Internet Café where I pay for 45 minutes of internet time and I can't even connect to my Hotmail inbox. Service is pretty unreliable - you pretty much click a link, then wait...and wait...and wait...and hope the connectivity gods are in your favour. Linda gets lucky, and is generous enough to let me connect from her terminal. I read a quick email from Mike, with her remaining 2 minutes, and don't have a chance to reply.
Early to bed for me tonight. Tomorrow we spend a long day on the bus; we are heading to Gulu, a war-torn area in Northern Uganda, to visit an Internally Displaced People's (IDP) Camp. I know I'm not prepared and I know that nothing will prepare me for just how sad and overwhelming it will be visiting these camps. Having seen War Dance, and Invisible Children, I understand what I am in for, but still...
From there, we continue to Murchison Falls for a 2 day safari, which was our add-on to the trip. We've seen the pamphlets, and our accomodations there look pretty swank. Something feels wrong about visiting an IDP camp, and then only hours later, hanging out at a swim up bar at luxury lodge. I bet the ride there will be deadly quiet after Gulu.
I need to change some more money and do some laundry, since everything I have is either sweaty, or covered in baby goo, or both. It is all going by so fast. This place is amazing.
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