We visited two schools yesterday, both funded by Italian catholic charities, one for boys (roughly 1000) and the other for girls under 12. They shyly related their appreciation for the support to attend boarding school since most come from IDP camps (which we also visited this week, admiring the resilence of families after 10-20 years in single room huts!). Many of the children told of abductions or violence against their families but would not speak in detail. It’s difficult to contain the sadness and anger at the horrifying disruption of humanity here with nearly 2 million people displaced by 20 years of misguided civil strife by the misguided leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Still there are many NGO’s, including Canadian groups like The Child is Innocent (led by Bonnie Fournier of Edmonton and Dr Fred Oola – here in Gulu) through which students are individually sponsored, and War Child Canada whom we met today. War Child is working to educate adults and children on constructive ways to deal with violated families as well as providing legal support for justice. I met for the first time the 9 year old which Laureen and I have been sposnoring this past year from Gulu – Eunice: a moving experience for us both.

Blessings all, D