Evac, Europe, and Nakivale Update

Evacuation

We went the way of the Peace Corps. A few days into the much talked about plague we received a phone call from our academic advisor telling us that we were being evacuated to Kampala. Most of us were pretty upset to be leaving Gulu and our Homestay families behind, but the logic was pretty clear. We packed up all of our things and loaded them onto our trusty matatus. We were supposed to leave at 11 but naturally we left at a little before 1, AWA. We encountered the usual bus matatu break down on the way to Kampala so our four-hour journey turned into an eight-hour journey. Our driver, Tycoon the Man, also decided it would be a good idea to buy a chicken, still clucking, and set it under the back seat. I don’t know how the little guy didn’t make any noise or try to escape but it was definitely still alive.

We made it to Kampala by nightfall and returned to the trusty Bativa Hotel where we started our trip three months ago. Most of us were pretty exhausted so we passed out. The following day Dr. William, our Academic Director, gave us a briefing on the situation. Apparently there were confirmed cases of Pneumonic Plague and a strong possibility of Ebola, I’m glad we got out of there as soon as we did. It’s still upsetting to think that us Muzungus can escape so easily but we leave behind all the residents of Gulu to fend for themselves. There is nothing we can do, but it’s troubling that the actual Ugandans really have no escape. We also learned that our safari at the end of our trip has been cancelled so our trip might end earlier than expected.

Europe?

Because of the premature end to our trip, my friend Robbie and I have been planning a little European adventure. We were originally going to fly out on the 17^th in the wee hours of the morning but now we might be able to fly out on the morning of the 12^th. I have a lot of friends studying abroad in Europe right now so there is a chance of us going to visit folks in Italy, France, Scotland, London, etc. The most viable option seems to be Scotland right now, and considering I just finished Braveheart, I’m pretty excited about it. Although I realize I have literally no winter clothes.

So a few days in Kampala it is, I have finished my Independent Study Project, longest paper I have written yet, and I feel good about it. Our presentations happen next week and then this African adventure ends for me. It’s been an amazing experience and it has really changed my outlook on the world and how I plan on living my life. I am sure that I will find uncountable ways that this experience has changed me upon my return home.

Nakivale Update

I don’t know if I have mentioned this before but a lot of my studies in Nakivale were focused on an event on July 14^th, 2010 when a large group of Rwandese was forcibly repatriated to Rwanda. The official story is that two people died because they jumped out of trucks taking them back, but the refugees told a very different tale involving Ugandan troops rounding up the Rwandans and shooting at them and then forcing them into trucks. They claim up to 27 people died.

I mention all of this because I received a call from Everest, a Rwandan refugee in Nakivale, last night. He was terrified. He told me that about 100 Ugandan troops had showed up at Nakivale and were not telling people why they were there. He fears another event like the July 14^th massacre. Hopeless does not even begin to describe how I felt after that phone call. He asked me what he should do, where he should go. I felt so powerless. This man wanted me to tell him the best way for him to preserve his life, and I had no idea what to say. All I could tell him was to avoid going to large gatherings organized by the Ugandan troops, because that could too easily turn into a similar situation as the July events. Beyond that, I had nothing to say, I don’t know where he lives, what his finances are like, where he can go, or how legitimate this threat is. I have no pull with any political or Non-Governmental organization. My role as a student has been a blessing and a curse. People feel comfortable talking to me about their lives and their struggles but the information I get at this point doesn’t have much readership or much sway in the world of academia. I am able to get solid information but it goes into a paper to advance my own personal learning and that’s about it.

At this point it seems I can only look forward and hope that this experience helps build an understanding of the world around me and allows me the possibility of enacting changes in the future that prevent similar situations as described about from happening or happening again.

I hope this blog post finds you well wherever you may be. Happy Holidays.

-Muzungu currently back in Kampala, contemplating his time in Africa and his coming time in Europe.