#CIYOTA WPDI Peace&Progress TheYouthIsOurFuture

[maureensigliano-blog]

DAY 9 (January 17th, 2017)

Kyriandongo Camp is a vast stretch of land (over 100 square kilometers). It is arid, windy and extremely dusty. Everything and everyone is constantly covered by a film of red dust… Throats are constantly parched. Eyes are strained. And skin is dry yet sticky at all times.

This is where 64K people, mostly under the age of 18, are seeking refuge from the horrors of war, tribal conflicts and natural disasters. 37K of them are from South Sudan. The others are mostly from Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. Yes, Ugandan refugees in Uganda. The latter were moved here after entire villages were wiped out by the flash ‘Baduda mud slides’ in 2012…

Here each family is given a small plot of land once ‘the refugee arrival process’ is completed (medical & administrative formalities). Plus very basic building materials. And then, lives are supposed to go on…

This is also where WPDI (a wonderful NGO headed by American actor & producer Forest Whitaker) is building a new operation to: > unite the community (peace) > inspire the local youth and deliver key practical skills required to participate in the local & global economies… (development)

Western Union, the unique company I work for, is the very proud funder of WPDI’s budding programs on Kiryandongo.

Benson & I spent most of today on this 'Camp’…getting to know the professional yet profoundly warm WPDI Team…understanding how the community live their daily life…and engaging with the passionate residents who dream of moving on with their lives despite pain and challenges.

- We visited a tiny brick warehouse on the corner of a busy road intersection just outside the Camp. This is where a group of local young men have set up a little business applying the entrepreneurship skills that they learned from WPDI. They explained how they buy small quantities of all types of grains from isolated farmers and then resell it all, in bulk, for a profit, to business-savvy travelers going back to Kampala… They eagerly showed us their hand written and very detailed accounting entries: 'Our products are good. Our location is good. Our prices are good. We have even learned how to manage our supply & demand. So we are very proud to call ourselves a successful business.’ This 'start-up’ is very appropriately named Focus Ahead…

- We watched young women and children line up for water at the wells which are sparsely scattered across the Camp. Each patiently waiting to fill numerous large yellow plastic containers with H2O. Water has a different value in this place. It is vital for humans & crops, yet difficult to access in the required quantities despite frugality. Therefore, water is one of the sources of frustration within this community. Later in the day, we heard from the 'Elders’ and from the 'Camp Commander’ that it is while waiting at the wells that old tribal wounds often flare up…

- we participated in a 'townhall meeting’ with local youth (only one girl amongst all the young men) and a few 'Elders’. It was organized by WPDI to capture the voice of the community it will support…The intense exchanges that took place during the meeting were direct and absolutely captivating. This is what we heard:

'Even though many of us have never known Peace and we don’t fully understand what it means, we dream of it… But we need your help to to show us the way, to teach us techniques, to share stories of people who have been successful at leaving behind the tribal divides that have destroyed our families. Our generation needs to know how to do things differently and move on.’

´Do you think youth means just boys? Look at us, we are almost all male here. It is not right. The needs of the girls in our community need to be represented by them… One day they will be our wives and the mothers of our children, it’s important that they be empowered to grow too. Our sisters want to join but unfortunately they can’t. Our parents don’t allow them to come because of our cultures. And if they do, they may be beaten by them… We really need your help to explain to our parents your objectives, what you can do for us, and why it’s important that our community’s girls be here too. Please find ways to include our parents and our girls in your initiatives…´

'Why don’t the churches, the mosques, the NGOs and the community leaders work all together? Messages and initiatives sometimes seem fragmented. Which means they are not as impactful as they could be. We love your programs and want you to be as successful as possible. We need you. So please avoid silos and partner with the other members of our community as you move forward…’

- Peace is good but we also need progress. Most of us had to stop our education at the end of elementary school because there is only one middle school here on Kiryandongo. And it is very crowded & difficult to access. We know that education is the key to unlock our future and to sustain peace. We have dreams but we really need help to acquire the know-how, skills and bridges required to make them come true. We will gladly build a new school with our own hands if necessary. We will apply for university scholarships. But please guide us and mentor us.’

'We know that in every problem there is also an opportunity. We know that the desire to move forward has to come from within us. But life here is hard. The basics are missing. So please tell the world that any little support can make a world of a difference here…’

I listened - almost mesmerized - by their strength and their wisdom.

I could not stop the tears from streaming down my face as I thought about how easy my life is. And how cruel theirs have been. Yet I was struck by the unimaginable & beautiful power of their youth…& of their hope. ❤️🌈❤️

The wonderful young people who I met in Kiryandongo & Kyangwali Camps know what they want. They also know exactly what it will take .

I can’t help but believe that they may become the future leaders who will finally bring peace & stability to Africa. And to this crazy but wonderful world…

They need - and so deserve - our heartfelt support and that of transformational organizations like WPDI & CIYOTA.

If you are interested in supporting them through the work of CIYOTA and/or WPDI please let me know.

❤️