MyVoice
Notes from Conrad Mandsager

A Watering Can and Fertilizer in One Hand and a Machete in the Other …

As the early morning light crept in on June 20th, the sounds of girls chattering and laughing broke through the darkness. They had been up since 4:30 preparing food for the biggest day of ChildVoice’s short history. As they went about their work, their excitement couldn’t be contained. In between their chores, they could be seen ironing their blouses and skirts on the veranda of the school. They rushed around getting their kids bathed and dressed, hoping that they would stay clean until the event started later that morning. They had practiced their welcome presentation for weeks because finally, after months of delays and postponements, the official launch of ChildVoice’s program was to take place at Lukodi Centre. The guest list was long and everyone was keyed up because Norbert Mao, the top official in Gulu District, and Walter Ochora, the Resident District Commissioner, were both coming. Other officials from Gulu District, church and community leaders, and other guests from the US and northern Uganda had also responded -- so a big crowd was expected.

As per usual in Uganda, the start time of 11 am came and went. Over the course of the late morning hours, the crowd had swelled to over 1000 in anticipation of the big event. Music blared from the tent set up in the compound of the Centre. Kids could be seen dancing on the walls of the old school just outside the fence, elevated so that they could see into the compound. Soldiers stood at the gate allowing only those who were invited guests to enter. Kids crowded at the gate, one or two sneaking through each time the soldiers’ attention was diverted. Members of Lukodi and Kulubel communities without guest status stood several deep outside the fence.

Sometime after noon, Mao and Ochora’s entourages finally drove up. Their arrival meant the ceremonies could finally begin. After the proceedings had worn on for some time, Mao was finally introduced. As he began to speak, it became clear why this occasion in Lukodi was such a symbolic event for northern Uganda. He spoke of the hope that peace had finally come. He assured the people that it was time to return to their homes and rebuild their communities. He acknowledged their fear, but encouraged them to trust the government’s intelligence that the rebels would not return even though the peace accord lay unsigned. Not an easy sell, as it was only days earlier that a band of LRA rebels had launched a raid near the Uganda/Sudan border just 40 miles or so from the Centre.

As he addressed the challenges of the Acholi people’s return and resettlement, he admitted that there were significant barriers that stood in the way – the lack of clean water and sanitation, the need to rehabilitate schools and find teachers, the lack of fundamental healthcare, the need to rebuild villages and communities, etc. -- infrastructure that has been destroyed during the last 22 years of conflict. And he understood that assistance will be needed from non-governmental organizations like ChildVoice to overcome these barriers. He made it very clear, however, that not all the work that these organizations are doing is helpful. First, some organizations have used the tragedy in northern Uganda to raise millions of dollars for their organizations, but then have failed to do any meaningful work in Uganda. Secondly, other organizations continue to focus on humanitarian relief and are unwilling to shift their efforts toward long term development. Whichever the case, these organizations are not helpful to the return and resettlement process and will no longer be welcome to work in northern Uganda.

Then he used a passage from the Bible to powerfully illustrate his role as the most senior government official in Gulu District vis-a-vis non-governmental organizations in northern Uganda. In Luke 13, Jesus relates how the owner of a vineyard tells his vinedresser to cut down a fig tree that was not producing. The man asks him to give it one more year and let him fertilize it to see if it will produce. If it does not, then he will cut it down. Then Mao said, “My job as the senior official in this district is to carry a watering can and fertilizer in one hand and a machete in the other. If an organization is not working with us to benefit our people, I will cut it down. However, if an organization like ChildVoice works closely with us to further our development goals for our people, I will do everything in my power to help them grow and prosper.”

Evidence of ChildVoice’s commitment to the people of northern Uganda was on view throughout the day. The smiles and confidence of the girls at Lukodi Centre stood in stark contrast to the haggard, worn look on the faces of hundreds behind the fence who struggle with basic needs in the nearby displaced person camps. For them, the barriers to resettlement and reintegration are overwhelming, something that Mao’s words, no matter the eloquence, cannot overcome. They are waiting for tangible evidence that it is safe to move back home and that the government will not abandon them during the resettlement process.  Within the Lukodi Centre, the ChildVoice rehabilitation initiative is renewing hope for dozens of child mothers and their children.  The structured program of basic education, life skills development, vocational training, and counseling is visibly transforming the lives of these formerly abducted girls and their children.

Throughout the communities surrounding the Lukodi Centre, people are moving home.  Why? Because of the new Lukodi Primary School and its feeding program. Because of the Punena Health Center, whose health care surpasses that of some of the hospitals in Gulu. Because of the clean water that is coming from various water and sanitation projects. And because of the economic development that is coming from new employment and business opportunities. These strategic initiatives are designed to strengthen the components of community that must bear the weight of an entire region’s growth and renewal – health and education.  The ChildVoice approach – targeted interventions for the most vulnerable, combined with community development projects – is a multi-layered model with sustainable solutions.

This is why Norbert Mao concluded his remarks that day by saying that ChildVoice is one of his favorite organizations – because of what is seen in Lukodi and Kulubel – an organization reaching out to offer a hand to those who others have rejected, an organization making tangible changes, an organization worthy of the watering can and fertilizer.