Script for Northern Uganda Letter Writing Exchange - May 2008
Narrator 1: Uganda is a country in East Africa. Kampala is the capital city. Uganda is an agricultural country, with coffee as its major export crop. English is spoken but there are also 40 other languages. The country is mostly Christian, with Catholics and Anglicans being the biggest groups. Muslims represent about 12% of the population. Northern Uganda has had much trouble for many years. Let's hear from some of its people.
Person 1: I live in Northern Uganda, a region that has been in civil war for over 20 years, longer than many of you have been alive. Can you imagine what it would be like to live all your life in a war zone? Many of the children here have never known peace.
Person 2: Do you know what an internally displaced person or IDP is? I am one. I am different than a refugee because I remain in my own country, but I am displaced because the war here has destroyed my village and the conflict makes it unsafe for me to return there. Refugees usually flee from their country because of persecution based on race, religion, nationality or affiliation with a particular group. They usually take up residence in another country so that they are safe. Not me, I am still in Uganda. That is why I am called an IDP.
Narrator 2: There are about 1.4 Million Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Northern Uganda. That is the same size as Montreal or the size of two Winnipeg cities. Can you imagine that many people losing their homes and having to flee for safety?
Person 3: Are wondering why we have to run and from what? I will tell you. The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is a rebel group that has done terrible things to people here, especially our children. The LRA hopes to overthrow the Government of Uganda. Children make up at least half of the LRA. I know this because one of my sons is one of the leaders.
Person 4: My name is Joseph Kony. I am the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army. I am fighting against the Ugandan government. My troops burn homes, kill the residents, abduct the children, and loot the villages. I want to be the leader of Uganda.
Narrator 3: Twenty-five thousand children have been abducted during the course of the war. The children are just like you. They have been used to help fight the war as child soldiers or to be the wives of soldiers.
Child 1: My name is Agnes. I am 10 years old. I sometimes sleep on the steps of the police station in town so that no one steals me as I sleep in my own bed.
Child 2: My name is Daniel. I was kidnapped by the LRA two years ago when I was 12 years old. They have trained me how to kill. I must obey the orders of the rebel commanders or die and so I shoot other children in the villages we attack.
Person 5: I am a mother whose child was taken from a school. I now advocate for the return of the children - all the children, not just mine. I write letters to peace organizations and governments asking them to help me find my daughter and the thousands of other children who are missing. I also help children who escape from the rebels to integrate back into the village life.
Child 3: I am called Miracle by my family. They waited a long time for me to be born. Then one night, the rebels came to my school where I slept and took 130 girls who stayed there. The commander let 100 girls go when Sister begged him. I was not one of them. I have stayed. I now have two babies by one of the soldiers. I miss my family very much.
Person 6: I am a rebel leader. I captured 130 girls one night from a school. This nun from the school followed us all the way, begging me to let them go. I laughed at her. She was persistent though. (Counts and separates the girls into two groups - one with 10 girls and the other with 5). I gave her back 100 of them. I told her that if she did not leave, I would kill the other 30 girls right there. Stupid nun! Did she think she could outsmart me? I took pleasure in her agony.
Person 7: I am a nun who works at a middle years residential school for girls. One night the rebels came to the school and took 130 of our girls. I followed them, into the darkness, walking many kilometers without a break. When I got to their camp, I begged the leader to let them go - to keep me instead. He showed no mercy at first. Then he offered me 100 of the girls. How could I take some and not all? How did he expect me to leave the rest of the girls there? I begged him again. I cried. The girls cried. I still hear some of them, "Please do not leave me, Sister." "Please Sister, take me too." Sometimes I do not sleep so well at night feeling hopeless that these girls are still out there.
Person 8: I am a father whose daughter never came back to me after she was kidnapped. I have waited 7 years for her to return. Maybe she is still alive. Maybe she is dead. I don't know. I try not to think about how she is - where she is sleeping, if she is eating enough, if she is hurt but I think about her all the time, even when I try not to.
Person 9: I work for the Government of Uganda and am involved with peace talks. We have signed a ceasefire agreement and peace has been more or less in place since February. We still fear that Joseph Kony will not keep the peace but we will try to maintain peace.
Child 4: My name is Elizabeth. I watched from the bushes as the rebels burned down my village. I feel sad and lonely. It helps me to get letters from my RESPECT penpals so I can think of happier things. I like to draw pictures for my penpal. I drew beautiful flowers for her.
Child 5: My name is Solomon. I am happy. I live in Gulu in Northern Uganda and I am glad to have a penpal through RESPECT. I love to play football and to sing. I am in grade 7. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. I help with the chores. My father grows crops.
Child 6: My name is Brooklyn. I live in Winnipeg. Our school does letter exchanges through RESPECT International. I like to write to my penpal. She sent me a drawing of huts burning. I know that one way I can support her is to write back to her. I will draw her a nice picture so that I can make her happy and let her know that I care.
Narrator 4: RESPECT International is an organization that helps to link children from around the world who are refugees or internally displaced people with children who are not. RESPECT raises awareness, builds bridges and encourages action. One way RESPECT does this is through a letter exchange program. Would you like to hear more about this?
Activity Debriefing
How did you feel reading your part and listening to others?
What did you learn about the children living in Northern Uganda?
Let's talk about something you can do to partner with children from Northern Uganda and show them that you care.