Friday - Arrival in Gulu!

Hey everyone! Today we journeyed from Kampala to Gulu so we can start on the more specific aspects of the BAP project. The ride took us about 4-5 hours, not nearly as bad as the trips most of us have endured in the last few days. The highlights of the drive were probably the views of the Nile and a few baboons hanging out in the road.

After we arrived in Gulu, sorted out our lodging, and ate, we split up into groups to explore Gulu and find important landmarks such as an internet café, Gulu University, and the Invisible Children headquarters. After some free time, we all went to meet with a local pastor, who talked about the past and current situations within Gulu. As he described the nightly commute of many children into Gulu, it hit me that we finally actually here. Prior to that moment I was merely seeing Gulu as another Ugandan city; comparing its roads, markets, and atmosphere with that of Kampala and Kabale. However, as the Pastor spoke about the children’s commute and the atrocities committed against many local adults and children, I was finally able to really imagine these events in their proper setting. The streets we walked to get to this church were exactly the same as those that the children followed in order to arrive at a safe sleeping place for the night.

After all of our preparations through movies, books, discussion, and independent research, we were finally in the city we had learned so much about and surrounded by the people we wanted so desperately to help recover from the horrible circumstances they were victim to. This realization has really enhanced my desire to get out into the community, interact with the locals, hear their stories, and get this project going!

-Alyson