A group exercise facilitated by The Recreation Project
Before the Fall semester ended, the Cross Cultural Practicum, Community Art in Uganda, and Social Work classes took a trip to Gulu in Northern Uganda to learn from a couple of different organizations and their unique approaches to development. Gulu hosts many organizations working toward rebuilding a society impacted by over 20 years of conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army.
The Recreation Project
(therecreationprojection.org) facilitates experiential learning in the forest
through ropes courses, a zip-line, climbing wall, and other group building activities in the forest. The Project creates
opportunities for youth to reclaim courage and self-belief through exhilarating
experiences, encourages them to have fun with peers, and creates safe spaces
for youth to engage their past and current circumstances while building hope
for the future.
Amani Ya
Juu (www.amaniafrica.org) is a fair trade sewing and economic development
program for marginalized women in Africa. Amani is committed to holistic
development through gaining experience, skills, mentorship, and relationships.
Amani generates a culture of peace to transform lives. The women participate in
singing, praying, and daily Bible study as they live out peace with each other,
as well as pass it on to neighbors in need.
Cross Cultural Practicum student, Mariel, wrote about her
experience in Gulu. Check out her blog (marielrieland.tumblr.com).
"After a 9-hour long dusty, bumpy coaster ride, we finally pulled into a bustling town. It felt so surreal, and yet it was so true.
I was finally in Gulu.
Gulu is the home of Invisible Children, Krochet
Kids, Restore Academy, and countless other NGOs that I’ve followed and
connected with over the past few years. But more importantly, it is the
epicenter of 20 years of LRA violence, abductions, and forced evacuations into
horrific IDP camps. I won’t get into the full history of the northern
region here, but please look it up if you have the time.
[On a more personal note, my interest in this region was
one of the initial reasons I began looking into the Uganda Studies Program, so
finally arriving there after spending three months in the country was
definitely surreal. I will be forever indebted to my dearest friend Aly
Inouye for inspiring and encouraging me to take this pilgrimage to Uganda.]
After our first night spent in a Catholic guesthouse, I
awoke early to spend some quiet time with God. I was looking forward to
the day and I wanted to prepare my heart, but I didn’t know what passage to
read. I’m not much of a “pray for a verse to pop into my head” person,
but in that moment of questioning, I felt that I should turn to Isaiah
51. What I found there struck me to the core, and I knew without a doubt
that God was revealing to me his heart for the people of Gulu.
“I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you
fear mere mortals,
human beings, who are but grass,
that you forget the Lord
your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the
earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the
oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
The
cowering prisoners will soon be set free;
they will not die in their dungeons,
nor will they lack bread.
For I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea so
that its waves roar—
the Lord Almighty is his name.”
-Isaiah 51:12-15
The Lord saw his people Israel in bondage, and he used the
prophet Isaiah to remind them that through their oppression and captivity, He
is still the Sovereign Lord. What does this promise mean for the people
of Gulu, many who became foreigners in their own land?
The Recreation Project
The first half of our day was spent like any other day in
Uganda—completing ropes course challenges, careening through a forest on a zip
line, and scaling a rock-climbing wall. Wait, that doesn’t sound normal
to you? It definitely doesn’t to Ugandans, either!
The Recreation Project is a recreational therapy
organization that uses play to rehabilitate young people who have been
traumatized by the war. Over the past few years, they have seen over
7,000 Ugandan youth visit their site. While many of the elements at the
camp were familiar to us North Americans from church summer camps and climbing
gyms, most Ugandans have never even heard of a ropes course in their
life! After completing a challenge as a team, the facilitators sit down
with the kids and help them process what they just went through and how the
lessons they learned can be applied to their lives. Concepts such as
building trust with one another, working as a team, and even reaching
“impossible” goals are discussed. For many children with issues such as
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder having a positive stress experience (such
as the thrill of a zip line) can help their brains cope with all the negative
stress their body has experienced during the war. We even got to work
with some girls from a nearby school who have formed a rock-climbing
group!
To learn more about TRP’s mission and operations, visit:
therecreationproject.org.
Amani Ya Juu
After a delicious lunch and some more ropes course
adventuring, we all hit the coaster once again and drove across town to visit
Amani Ya Juu, (Swahili for “peace from above.”) Amani is an economic
empowerment organization that works all over Africa to restore and redeem the lives
of women who have been affected by conflict, poverty, and other forms of
marginalization.
We pulled up to their beautiful new house/office, and
walked in to the sound of joyful singing and clapping. The ladies
welcomed us with a choir of praise and laughter, and it was truly beautiful to
see! We were greeted by Simprosa, the founder of Amani in Gulu, who was
herself a refugee in Kenya for many years due to the war in the north.
Upon returning home to Gulu, she discovered many women who had fled LRA captivity,
often with children in tow, only to return home and find no opportunities to
work or provide for their families. After working for a time in a church
doing vocational training, she decided to open her own branch of Amani.
We were able to hear a few of the ladies’ stories, and
they were definitely heartbreaking. Many of them were abducted at the age
of 12 or 13 and given as “brides” to elderly LRA commanders. They were
forced to march for miles through the desert with little food or water, and
many had to bear children by their captors. I won’t go into details, but
suffice it to say that I can never imagine being able to continue living,
nevermind smiling, again after experiencing something like that.
Now at Amani, they have been trained in tailoring and
jewelry-making skills, and also have discipleship training and trauma
counseling. For the 10 women employed there, Amani means much more than a
chance to make an income. It means having a supportive and loving
community that helps them regain their dignity and confidence, all while
learning more about the incredible God that has been with them through all
their trials.
After hearing their stories, we were able to purchase the
beautiful products they made (and I definitely got some Christmas gifts)!
I didn’t feel “exploitative” or consumeristic by buying their products, rather,
I felt honored by the opportunity to empower these beautiful women to continue
supporting their families and regaining their dignity.
Visit amaniafrica.org if you would like to learn more
about the work they are doing/look into purchasing some beautiful products!!
Overall, Gulu was a short but incredible pocket of time in
which God showed me so much about his love and justice for oppressed peoples.
I know I’ll return one day, but until then, I’ll carry the memory of this
weekend close to my heart.
Love,
Mariel. "
