I am so proud. I have been thinking about that phrase over these last couple days as I have heard it a few times from different women in Uganda and it leaves me mulling over what I am proud of. What is it in my life that lets me hold my head high and feel pride in an accomplishment? Through their time at Living Hope, these women’s dignity is being restored and they have so much to be proud of now. We have heard….. “I am so proud I can write my own name.” “I am so proud I can fill out my own form at the bank now.” “I am proud to be able...
As I have mentioned, the other day we had the absolute honour of sitting down – Sarah, myself, a translator and 4 different women who are former child soldiers from the LRA. We met with each woman one at a time and listened through our tears as they shared their tales. We will share more on this for sure – but I wanted to share one observation we made. For most of these women, when they did manage to escape and return home from the war – they were not welcomed with open arms and a celebration. In most instances, they weren’t welcomed at all. Families were ashamed that their child had been a soldier killing, looting and causing havoc...
Last night I blogged about how the Ugandan women enjoyed a good laugh at our expense. All in good fun of course! I thought it’d be only fair if we also shared how we enjoyed a good laugh watching them. Sarah and I enjoyed two visits in our new friend, Janet’s home in the village near the guest house where we stayed. To enter a home with no glass windows to close, no electricity, only a couple rooms in total to house a family of 12, no running water, and little luxuries or conveniences seems at first as if we’ve entered a different world. Not just a different country. But then as we visited with Janet, Sarah and...
Everywhere we look in Uganda we see women working. Their everyday chores are endless and we are constantly amazed at how hard they work. Carrying water, children and a heavy load on their head walking miles down the road. Digging in the garden. Preparing food. Tending to their huge families. Sweeping. Mopping. Pumping water. And the list goes on. We wanted to see what life is like for Ugandan women and set out to try a few of their chores. Walking we saw a woman working in her garden. She waved and chatted away to us in Lugandan or some other language we don’t know. We did some charades to ask if we could try working in...
Wow. What a morning. Sarah and I spent the morning sitting down with former child soldiers and hearing their stories one at a time. I was videoing through my tears as we listened to stories of rape, being beaten, having everything taken, their children killed and every possible atrocity known to humanity. And then some.
But their stories did not end there - such joy. As they shared with us their goals and dreams for their futures. How their dignity has been restored through their time at Living Hope. It is inspiring and powerful to see women who have gone through so much and who now know joy and peace. Beautiful. (Can't wait to share the rest!)
