Last few days

I visited the Invisible Children office today! I had a tour of the office and then got taken to one of their projects called Mend, which is for women who have escaped from the LRA army. They're taught how to make handbags and then these bags are sold online through Invisible Children so it's income generating. Each bag will have the name and story of the woman who made it so it's more personal and will help spread awareness. Their projects are awesome; they are really making a huge difference!

I taught my P5 class of 56 teenagers again today. After English they wanted me to teach them music again. I got some kids to come up and perform songs and dances. Maan they can groove it was hilarious; the class was in hysterics again. Some confident guys came up and fully started singing rap songs and dancing hip hop; I loved it!! Even the P6 students came to the window to watch and laugh. It's crazy and amazing how happy they are and how much fun they love to make, considering everything they have been through. I heard that one third of all highschool students in Northern Uganda are suffering from post-traumatic stress because of the war.

Yesterday we visited St Monicahs which helps girls who were abducted by the LRA, child mothers and also children of prisoners. We just had a quick tour around so didn't get to meet any of the girls, but I only found out once we were there that this was the school where a number of years ago all the girls were abducted one night (the girls who boarded there) by the LRA. The nuns, who were the bravest people I've ever heard of, ran after them and eventually found the LRA leading the girls through the bush. The nuns pleaded for the LRA to let the girls go, and they miraculously let almost all of them go (over 100), except 30. The nun was told she had to choose which girls stayed with the LRA.

The nun broke down into tears and refused; she could not choose. So some of the girls said to her "We'll choose for you," and they volunteered to stay so that their friends could go. It was the most amazing sacrifice and something I just cannot comprehend. After a few years some of these girls escaped the army, but most of them have never been heard of again. They're either dead or are still there.

The school now helps heaps of other girls who have also escaped the army.
It was a pity we couldn't stay longer and meet people but we had to go. We had lunch in town with another guy who was volunteering at St Monicahs and then me and Kate went for a walk to find the World Vision Children of War Rehabilitation Centre. They don't allow visitors but I've heard so much about it and seen it on videos so I wanted to walk past it. We eventually found it and met the guy at the entrance. They only have 4 kids there now. 2 are in hospital and 2 are there at the centre. This is for children who have escaped the LRA. They are rehabilitated there for about 6 weeks and then brought back to their homes. A lot of them are rejected by their own family though because of what they were forced to do in the bush.

There's only a few there because the war is no longer happening in Northern Uganda. But they're still open in case the LRA release the child soldiers, which is what the Invisible Children campaigns are aiming for. There would be thousands of kids needing rehabilitation.

I am in town now meeting Kate for dinner soon. Tomorrow is our last day so we're planning on doing lots of fun stuff with the kids; pass the parcel, make icing biscuits, watch Madagascar and possibly make masks too. These are the children from the consolation home who have disabilities. There are a few siblings of these kids that also live there. Their homes are right next door to ours so we have got to know them really well. They're beautiful!

Better go, this is long :))