Reflections...

This morning I watched the heart-wrenching Oprah show on the war in Northern Uganda and the genocide in Sudan and as always it left me at a loss for words. The atrocities being committed are unfathomable, it really is mind boggling to see that all this can happen and once again the rest of the world remains oblivious to it all. It's sad enough, too that the rest of the world may not be aware or some maybe have chosen to turn a deaf ear but what's even more painful to me at least as a Ugandan citizen is how we as a nation have failed to do more...I was reading about the Gulu walk and how it was started by these two young Canadian boys, then the Invisible Children, a film turned into an NGO and how these young American boys decided they had to at least try to do something and I was really challenged because it seems to me that a lot of us either take the situation lightly or are just trying not to see things as they really are...I've known about this war since it started but I guess it's always seemed distant which is very sad and I have prayed about it, I do feel the pain of these little kids especially but I haven't really tried to do anything more...If anyone was to visit Kampala today or other parts of Uganda, they would definitely think this war is just a bluff because no effects of this war are seen anywhere else in Uganda and I guess this has probably been the cause of so much neglect and failure to support our own people.

As I was watching the night walkers, these beautiful children with no place to go, having to run and hide in cages, walking miles and miles every night, this one girl, her face disfigured by a bomb, the rapes, the horror stories, this one little boy, formerly a child soldier who would rather die now than live because of what he's been through, he has given up hope! I'm so emotional right now, pardon me if I'm incoherent but this war has gone on for far too long...I remember when Esteri was involved in the Invisible Children plea awhile back and the way I was determined to do something and here I am, months later and nothing has changed...I'm so ashamed! But I am going to try, I promise to do as much as I can from now on, even if it means just making more people aware of this situation and finding more ways to help. These children don't deserve to live like this, nobody does!! The genocide in Sudan, I'm at a loss for words again but we all really need to try and do something however small to change this...please do check out the website, Invisible Children and there's also a global night commute on April 29th in various states and provinces across North America, do check that out, too...you don't have to pay or anything, just being there makes a difference! My prayer is that these children and people be forgotten no more, please try and make a difference in their lives!! If you would like to sign up for the Global Night Commute, please sign up here, Global Nite Commute thank you & God richly bless!!

Links for more information on the ongoing wars in Sudan and Northern Uganda;

Global Security Organization, Save Darfur Coalition, Genocide Intervention, Uganda Rising, The International Rescue Community

Other organizations to check out are UNICEF, World Vision, Women for Women International, CARE, etc, and you could also use Google to find more information. Peace & Love!!!

Posted by Kanyana on Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 11:31 PM | Permalink