Children's Healing Initiative for Peace

2006-01-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Pictures, pictures, pictures...

2006-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Lanyero!!

2005-12-25T00:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Lanyero (Acholi name for bright, always smiling),
...Because I do not have the money with which to buy a fancy present and because you are always at my side, I thought I would post a fancy message on our blog to someone who has become an extension of me in the last five months.
Kaitlyn, I just want to say thank you, for lack of finding better words to describe the gratitude I have for your presence. If it weren't for you, I never would have had the courage to come on this trip. I never would have had the energy to get up on some, or rather many days. You provided me H-E-L-P while white water rafting, you gave me strength and comfort on our harrowing drive to Pader, you challenged me to push harder when we were working in the harshest of conditions in the North, you rubbed my back when I couldn't feel my legs (its really not as serious as it sounds!) in Pader, you continued to make me laugh hysterically in the dark confines of our "room" aka cell in Pader, you had the patience to persevere through our two hour long assessments when I couldn't stand to ask someone one more time what their houses look like (its a grass hut dammit!!!), you slept on a papyrus mat by my bed while I moaned for three hours thinking I was going to be sick, you endured my heat and hunger-enduced bad moods, and you kept me thoroughly entertained these last few nights with your amazing knowledge of Christmas songs. You have continued to surprise me with your energy, wit, charm, spirit, confidence, courage, inner and outer beauty and ability to be the most multi-dimensional person I know. You can drink until 6am, interview war-affected children with the warmth and compassion of the Dalai Lama, dance larakaraka with the full approval of the Acholis, describe with the most accurate and eloquent of words the friends we have met and the experiences we have had, you can say the Pledge of Allegiance in Japanese, you know more about world history than anyone I know (except maybe my Dad, which you remind me of constantly), you love to read books, especially Gone with the Wind, but at the same time love watching stupid, funny movies with the exception of Nigerian movies!
Well, I could go on but mostly I just want to say thank you again. We only knew eachother for a short time before we came on this trip and it honestly could have been such a disaster but infact it was the best time of my life. I would have wished for no one else by my side for these last five months.
Merry Christmas to my best friend, my pseudo-sister, and my (white) African Queen (we are gonna make that song a hit when we get home!!) ...
I love you! Love, Christina "Aneno"

And for the words that I could not find, here are some more to say thank you for your friendship ...
"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship."
- Cicero

"What is a friend? A single soul in two bodies."
- Aristotle

"Strangers are exciting, their mystery never ends. But, there's nothing like looking at your own history in the faces of your friends." - Ani DiFranco

Home Stretch

2005-12-19T00:44:00.000-08:00

Greetings...
This past Friday we finished our last day of field research in Gulu!! It is a huge sense of relief and also accomplishment but our work is not nearly done. We are now taking on the arduous task of compiling our assessments and praying that we don't get writer's block in the process. Although, finding somewhere quiet and conducive to writing is proving to be very difficult in Uganda. (We are now working at the gigantic US embassy - under tight and constrictive surveillance!)
Upon our arrival in Gulu we were curious about what the town would offer for us, especially after our Pader experience. Gulu is the epicenter of NGO work done in the North. We have never seen so many NGOs in such a compact, congested area. The town is bustling with businesses, restaurants, guest houses and discos. It is nice to see that even in the middle of a war zone the town is thriving and we think it will only get more developed as the hostilities wane.
Our first week in Gulu was spent banging out yet more assessments, which started to take close to two hours as we began asking more in-depth follow-up questions. We visited both World Vision and GUSCO, the two reception centers in Gulu, interviewing the recently returned youth there. We also linked up with Charles'(a friend of ours from AU) brother, Simon who works for CCF (Children's Counselling Fund) and who took us around to the area IDPCs where we conducted more assessments with the vulnerable children there. The second week we were in Gulu we were lucky enough to go on some field visits with NGOs. The highlights of the week were travelling with GUSCO on a reunification and visiting one of the night commuter shelters. The reunification allowed us to see a cleansing ritual performed on a boy who was just that day reunited with his family after months in the bush. The cleansing ritual is performed in order to rid the boy and family of any evil spirits that may be haunting them. It was incredibly touching and ceremonious. There were many tears shed as the family and their boy saw each other for the first time in months. We have the event on camera and video and look forward to sharing it. The night commuter shelter, where about 300 children between the ages of 5 and 18 years, trek to every evening to avoid the possible night abductions by the LRA. The children sang and danced for us for three hours! Their energy level and spirited souls were awe-inspiring.

Additionally, we went on field visits with AVSI (an Italian NGO), Save the Children, War Child Holland and a follow-up visit with GUSCO. It gave us a ground-up perspective on the psychosocial work being attempted by these various NGOs. We were finally able to witness some of the practical components of the programs we have heard so much about.
We've gained a better understanding of how organizations function (or don't function) within complex emergencies. Again, ambushes, killings and abductions continued to erupt all around us, creating a great deal of fear among the NGOs travelling for field visits, as well as for the Acholi people living their daily lives. The cyclical nature of this conflict has become all too apparent to us, where come Christmas time the LRA wants peace, but the government is not prepared to negotiate and the inverse of this is true at other times of the year. We spoke with many people who honestly believe this conflict is nowhere near a peaceful conclusion, even though LRA forces seem to be weakening and the ambushes aren't as frequent as they were several years ago.
Our second week there we were also able to enjoy all the comforts of a real home - a bed, shower, bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room and even a little pooter scooter kitten!! Andrew, a recent graduate of AU's SIS who is working on landmine sensitization for AVSI, was nice enough to put us up for free at his very nice house AND cooked delicious meals for us!! After travelling for four months nothing felt better than to relax on his front porch, listening to music and drinking margaritas after a long day in the field. Although at the same time, it added to the surreal feeling that is everpresent in Gulu; that despite the ongoing conflict luxuries are still available to those priviledged few.
We are now back at the old familiar Blue Mango in Kampala hanging out with our friends, counting down the days that we have to spend with them. The weather is getting hotter and hotter, making it all the more shocking to see Christmas trees up and lights draped over the palm trees. We plan on spending Christmas at the Blue Mango with some friends, leaving on December 27th for Nairobi, flying out on the 29th, and finally home on the 30th.
There is a bittersweet feeling for both of us as we are preparing to leave this country and our friends behind, though we will be ready to ring in the New Year when we return and we look forward to sharing all of our stories and pictures with anyone that is ready to endure it!
Thank you again for everyone that provided both emotional and financial support for this trip, we could not have done it without you!
Wishing everyone happy and safe holidays. You are all in our thoughts.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! With love,
Christina and Kaitlyn

On the road again...

2005-12-03T03:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings all ...

We are in Lira as of yesterday. We spent today at Rachele Reception Center interviewing some of the recently returned children there. On Monday we will travel to Gulu. We plan on staying in Gulu for two weeks speaking with the children at the reception centers as well as making visits to the camps to interview the vulnerable children living there. Already we feel such relief and happiness to be back in the North and doing something, anything that brings us closer to learning about the lives of these friendly, generous, beautiful people. We love Kampala and Entebbe but it is difficult to be in Uganda, so close to the conflict, yet not doing anything constructive with the people who are affected on a daily basis.
Uganda has started spreading their holiday cheer, just this morning while we were getting dressed we heard "Feliz Nevidad" blarring from one of the stereos below. It is so odd to be hearing Christmas music when it is 100 degrees outside.
We will try to post from Gulu, until then, good luck to all who are finishing up their semesters and happy holidays to all as well!

Love, Christina and Kaitlyn
PS Thanks to all that wished Kaitlyn a happy birthday, it really made the day that much more special. You will all be happy to know that Kaitlyn received a surprise visit from Michael Jackson at her birthday party in Kampala and we have pictures to prove it! He really is the one-gloved wonder! It was a birthday she will never forget!!!

2005-11-19T23:51:00.000-08:00

Hello All, More pictures ... they are coming slowly but surely. The first picture is of Kaitlyn and I at one of the primary schools in Pader with our newly formed peace group. The next picture is how we got water in Pader - pumping it from a hole and then filling the 20Liter jerry cans. We had to buy the 20L - for about 25cents and it would last us a day or so, depending on if we showered or not. The dancing picture is from Independence Day - back in early October - we have some video footage of that too - unbelievable!! The drawings were done by a young boy that was abducted, 14 years old. The other picture is of us in Pajule which is a small IDPC town right outside of Pader Town Council. We went there to interview some traditional chiefs when we ran into this curious looking fella just chilling on the side of the road.
We are leaving tomorrow for a three day trek to see some of the most impressive waterfalls in Africa, as well as some chimpanzees and other Uganda wildlife. On Thursday we have arranged to celebrate an American Thanksgiving with some of our other American and Canadian friends that are here, so we will also be enjoying turkey and pumpkin pie!
FYI - Kaityn's birthday is a week from Monday - November 28th - so send lots of e-love!! :-)
Miss and love you all!
Christina and Kaitlyn

One more try ...

2005-11-15T00:30:00.000-08:00

Hello again,

Sorry for some of the duplicate posts and pictures, we've been having a rough time with internet, so just bear with us ...
The top picture is of us at CCF reception center - all the kids with us are recently returned child soldiers, the middle picture is of Kaitlyn and I at Victoria's house on my birthday - that was supposed to be a different picture but I just relinquish all control to this computer and it does as it wishes. The final pictures are of some grass huts (obviously) that line the main road leading into Pader Town Council. As we get more blog savvy we might even be able to load a handful of different pictures ... don't hold your breath tho!
Thanks for your patience,
christina and kaitlyn

Pictures and latest news from Uganda...

2005-11-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone,

Thank you to all those that called or emailed for my birthday, we had a blast celebrating at a bbq with some friends we have made here - as well as some friends from DC!

For those of you who don't know .... Kampala has been the site of some pretty interesting riots over the last few days ... take a look at this BBC article ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4435490.stm
Last Friday the riots were centered around fee increases at Makere University where four students were shot and killed as well as another riot that took place in front of the parliament building. We walked through a couple of clouds of tear gas but nothing too serious. Yesterday Presidential hopeful Dr. Besigye was arrested on some trumped up charges from years ago that sent the city up in chaos with massive looting, marching and general political upheaval. We were in Entebbe at the time and heard it all unfold via radio. We will be in Kampala on Thursday and will get a first-hand account of what's going on there.

Our work with Victoria has been stimulating, although we are eager to get back up North. We leave around December 4th for Gulu.

We tried to upload some pictures so let us know if the pictures come through, if not, we will try again ...

Love to everyone!!

THANK YOU!!!!

2005-11-08T05:15:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a quick message saying thank you to all those that emailed or called on my birthday!! It truly made the day all the more special to know that people were thinking of me back at home. Kaitlyn and I celebrated my birthday among friends on Saturday night in Kampala at a BBQ, in true DC-style. Much to our surprise, there are a handful of American University graduates milling around Kampala!
Yesterday, we spent a hectic day running errands and then celebrated with a small gathering of little munchkins (children, not elves!) at Victoria's house, ate some cake, drank some wine and watched "School of Rock"!
So, thank you all again!
Love, Christina

Pader ... Where the Wild Things Are ...

2005-10-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

Where to begin... First thing's first for all those doubters out there: we're still alive. We came, we saw, we conquered Pader (pronounced pa-dare) and now we're here to tell about it!

We departed Kampala on October 5 crammed in the very back seat of the most bumpy bus ride thus far. We arrived in Lira (the half way point to the northern region) for an overnight pit stop before arranging the military escorts up to Pader the following morning. It was while we were nervously waiting at the UPDF barracks that we both realized the gravity of the journey we were about to embark on. These emotions were compounded by a last minute phone call to the U.S. Embassy in Kampala to let them know of our travel plans. Far from assuaging our fears, the embassy representative nonchalantly told us we were traveling at our own risk, and couldn't supress a side chuckle. Great, we thought. Just great. Although we both had thoughts of calling the whole thing off, we both (thankfully) kept our anxiety attacks to ourselves and before you could say "LRA" we were off zooming down the dusty, pot-hole ridden road, dodging the World Food Program caravans and making sure all of our four escorts were still alert in the bed of the pickup truck. Two completely silent and tense hours later, we both stumbled out of the truck, covered in dust, dazed and confused, and relieved!

Our first impressions of Pader were preoccupied by the intense heat, the blue blue sky, and the thousands of grass thatched huts that made up the Internally Displaced Persons Camp. Due to the insecurity caused by the looting, abductions and random killings by the LRA, 1.8 million northern Ugandans, called Acholis, were forced to leave their large plots of land and resettle in cramped, military-controlled IDP camps. The constant danger of an LRA attack keeps the people hemmed in the parameters of the camp, preventing them from earning any living of their own and dependent on monthly World Food Program rations that are rarely enough for their large families. Pader Town-Council, the county seat of the district and the town we were staying in, is home to 19,500 households, mostly comprised of children orphaned as a result of the war and the worsening health conditions found in the camps. The entire Pader district was carved out only five years ago, and as a result it is highly underdeveloped compared to the other northern districts of Gulu and Kitgum. There were intense LRA attacks on the camp throughout 2002-2003 that forced aid agencies to withdraw; we were pleased to see that the improved security situation in Pader now has encouraged NGOs and aid agencies to return to this forgotten district.

Our home for the next three weeks was a small, snug room with a thick steal door, two wooden beds, bars along the window and a plastic basin for "showering." The outhouses were reminiscent of a Fear Factor meets Survivor hybrid, complete with packs of flies, massive African cockroaches, and a small hole in the ground. You do the math. Let's just say, we got creative and truly believe that necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Since there was no running water, we both got quickly adjusted to "bucket baths," in which we would fill a small basin with water from a 20 liter gerry can and splash it over ourselves in the outdoor, doorless, roofless stalls in an attempt to get clean. Our success in that task remains dubious. Nevertheless, the cold water was always a welcomed treat after the scorching days spent sweating profusely.

The daily living adjustments were quickly forgotten, though as we dove into our work and began to realize the constant struggles that these friendly, resilient people cannot escape from. Working with Friends of Orphans (FRO), a local community-based organization in Pader, and through a translator, we interviewed over 25 children living in Pader Town-Coucil who were either formerly abducted or vulnerable youths. Some of these youths were also a part of FRO's vocational tailoring and carpentry training center. We made frequent trips to a nearby reception center called Christian Counselling Fellowship (CCF) where we were able to observe the recently returned child soldiers draw, debate, sing and dance as a part of the center rehabilitation activities. We also visited one of the local primary schools on several occassions, interviewing many children as well as distributing journals for some of them to record their daily thoughts, feelings, and hardships. We completed ten in-depth interviews, that were documented on film, and documented the children sharing some of their journal entries, which was an intensely touching and emotional experience for us. Hearing their stories of child mothers who had been impregnated by rebels while in the bush, being shot at by UPDF helicopters, severe beatings, and being forced to kill and abduct other children, these children became our heroes. Their one desire seemed to be to continue their education, which is their one opportunity for a more promising life.

In addition to speaking with the children, we wanted to get a more holistic picture of the conflict and its players. Unbelievably, we were granted full access to top government officials, army intelligence officers, traditional chiefs, religious leaders, parents whose children are still fighting in the bush, and various NGOs working in the relief effort. We were also fortunate to attend a Child Protection Unit (CPU) inter-agency meeting organized by UNICEF that really gave us a comprehensive view of the initiatives being carried out by the organizations. Several workshops and seminars occurred during our three week stay in Pader Town-Council, which we able to participate in.

While really trying to make each day count, we found ourselves immersed into the dynamic Acholi culture. It's truly easy to say that the people of Pader really made our experience entirely fulfilling. Since there was only one other "munu" (white person) in the whole town, we were either waved and shouted at as celebrities or looked at as freaks of nature. A couple of the youngsters cried hysterically at the sight of a person with such light skin, thinking we must be ghosts. Our third day in Pader was Uganda's independence day and we celebrated in true Acholi style - with long-winded speeches by governmental officials and lots of vibrant cultural dancing in which everyone participates, young and old. That evening we attended the town club, which was a great surprise to us that people were dancing and laughing. Kaitlyn managed to attract much attention, as she was dancing one of the cultural dances, "Larakaraka" with the Regional District Commissioner. Her picture ended up in the town paper a couple weeks later!

In addition to taking in the cultural dances, we learned some Luo thanks to our gracious hosts and friends (apoyo metak!!!) which have become some of our closest on this trip and whom we miss dearly already. The people in Pader welcomed as us as if we were their sisters and took care of us making sure we had enough to eat and were feeling comfortable and safe. Thankfully, we honestly felt very safe and protected the entire time we were in the North, despite hearing nightly gunshots in the distance - a few times the shots were aimed at random cows that were mistaken for rebels and other times the UPDF had actually shot rebels. A couple days before we were planning on leaving we were greatly saddened by the news of three ambushes by rebels on NGO vehicles making field visits around Pader and Kitgum. One of the ambushes occured a kilometer from the center of Pader Town Council where we were staying. The aid worker that was killed was a friend to many of our friends and the NGO he worked at was directly across the street from where we stayed. The entire three weeks we stayed there, we felt secure the whole time, but these three ambushes within 12 hours of each other (seemingly targeting NGOs specifically) reminded us of the life-threatening sacrifices people make in order to bring aid and development to this war-torn region. It also reminded us that even though the government and military officials kept telling us that the war is dwindling, we honestly believe that the rebels were acting in response to the ICC indictments of Kony and four of his top commanders and plan on continuing their atrocities.

By the light of the candle in our window, we had long nightly discussions about our future plans for work in Pader. It's difficult to think about the theoretical jargon we get in the classroom when we see people struggling to survive on a daily, hourly basis. This whole experience has shed new light on our perceptions of aid agencies, on whose responsibility it is to develop a war-torn region, the role of the government (or lack thereof), the role of civil society organizations and finally, the role that trauma healing plays in the peacebuilding process. We brainstormed many different ideas that we are eager to share with you all, in addition to showing the many, many pictures that we took and video footage we captured. We actually have some digital pictures to share and will try to get those posted on the blog within the next few days.

Although we could share many more details of our three week, life-changing journey, we will save some more of our dramatic adventures for when we return.

Our deepest thanks of gratitude to those that called us while we were in the North, it was truly a life line for us to hear your loving and supportive voices! We hope everyone is doing well. Now that we are back within the reach of a keyboard, please feel free to let the emails start a-flowin!

Love, hugs and kisses,
Christina and Kaitlyn

"Happy Days"

2005-09-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Kampala!
We have had a very busy last couple of weeks in Kampala. Just like Nairobi we hit the ground running here, scheduling meetings, getting acquainted with the city and taking in some tourist attractions. Last week we met with Friends of Orphans, the community-based NGO that we are working with in Pader in Northern Uganda. The organization was started by two formely abducted children who are two of the most inspiring individuals we have met.
Last Thursday Kaitlyn and I had the distinct pleasure of spending six hours getting to know the Nile River inside and out when our two friends that we met on the bus from Nairobi to Kampala, Arthur and Sarah, convinced us to go white water rafting with them. I think we can safely say that it was the most exhilarating day of both of our lives. From Christina swallowing half the Nile River to Kaitlyn getting pounded by the "Bad Place" to saving a water-logged pooter scooter of a monkey it was something we will always remember with fondness because we have lived to tell about it. Our rafting and kayaking guides were intent on stressing "happy days" as we roughed the giant rapids - not so happy at the time, but in "retrospect" (the name of one of three class five rapids) it was "too easy"!
Unbeknownst to us, the eco-tourism here is booming (even though the Ugandan government has struck a multimillion dollar deal with CNN to boost tourism) and later on in our stay here in Uganda we plan to visit Mt. Elgon, Chimpanzee Island and Murchinson Falls - just a few of the main attractions. If we had an extra few houndred dollars we could acquire a permit to see the gorillas on the Congo border, but that will have to wait for our next visit.
Since we have been in Kampala we have had the pleasure of meeting with Save the Children, AVSI, International Rescue Committee, Transcultural Psychosocial Organization, World Vision, UNICEF, UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and we attended an all-day Parliamentary conference where we got to meet several MP's. We got an in-depth briefing from Friends of Orphans on Acholi culture and a needs assessment of the Pader community and we also received a briefing yesterday from a spokesman from MONUC (UN's peacekeeping mission in Congo). These meetings, as opposed to many of the NGOs we met with in Nairobi offered us quite a different perspective of the peacebuilding field from a larger, international NGO perspective. Their work in the psychosocial support of formely abducted children seems to be well-practiced and we are eager to see the implementation of their programs in the North.
Aside from doing our work, we have been very lucky to have met some fabulous travellers here at the Blue Mango - from England, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden (shout out to Jo-Fine!) and the States. We have gotten the opportunity to go out with them and enjoyed swapping travelling tales over Thai and Indian food, as well as at a local Irish pub. The city has so much to offer from international film festivals to cultural music jam sessions to taking advantage of just about any outdoor adventure you can think of. The weather here is around 90 degrees - and getting hotter. There is no humidity, which is a welcomed changed for us and allows for all of the restaurants and shops to be outdoors. All of this coupled with the numerous palm tress, tropical flowers, rolling green hills and fabulously friendly Ugandans has us completely and utterly smitten with this country!
Now for the exciting news ... We embark on the bulk of our research project this Monday morning as we begin our drive to Pader. We will stop briefly in Lira (one night) and continue to Pader on Tuesday. Pader is in the North eastern district of the country and the most affected by the war which has also left it the poorest and least visited district by aid agencies. This is where Friends of Orphans is headquarted. We will be staying at a very small and austere "hotel" and making trips around the internally displaced camps, surrounding schools and community-based organizations. We are very anxious to begin our work with the children and carry out our research questions. We feel more than adequately briefed on all aspects of the conflict and of the interventions being carried out in the region.
Unfortunately - or fortunately - we won't have access to internet (which also includes electricity and water) for the time that we are in the North. We will carry our phone with us and be able to charge it at night by a generator. We are not sure how well this will work as we will also have to charge our video camera but we are posting our new number for those that want to get in touch with us. Our Kampala number is 011 256 71 652 323 (I think it was posted wrong before) and our Northern Uganda number is 011 256 78 761 516.
We will be spending the weekends in Kitgum and Gulu (two other war-affected districts) and might get the chance to email while in Gulu, so keep in touch as we will definitely want to hear from all of you if and when we do get internet connection.
We will be back in November and ready to work with Victoria's organization - Sunrise Children's Village in Entebbe.
Love to all of you. Thanks for the continued support!!!

it's so hard to say goodbye

2005-09-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

Our last week in Nairobi was full of intellectual and cultural experiences! We practiced our facilitation skills earlier in the week by conducting two workshops on trauma healing and fundraising to several of our colleagues--with great success! Many of you would be happy to know that we've also almost completed all of our Christmas shopping by going to the Masai Market--an expansive open air market selling traditional African artifacts, paintings and clothes. We bartered like pros (or at least felt like we did!) and came away with some really amazing gifts!

We were invited to our new friend Kate's house on Thursday (we met her while in Mombasa). She lived in a rural town outside of Nairobi. We met her family, learned how to cook chapati (our favorite Kenyan food!!! It's similar to a kind of flat bread), and enjoyed seeing her family's compound and local way of life.

On Friday we had a final farewell party at Simer's, our favorite outdoor pub in the center of the city. It was great to get all the people together that we've met in the past month. There was dancing, toasts, and goodbyes all around!

The bus ride to Kampala was long (13 hours!) but it allowed us to see so much of the lush, green western Kenyan countryside. Victoria was all smiles at the buspark to pick us up once we arrived though, and we are now very happily residing at a hostel called the Blue Mango in Kampala for the next couple of weeks before we move to Entebbe.

So far, we love Kampala! The weather has been fabulous, the Blue Mango is such a great find, and we've already lined up several interviews and workshops! It already seems much more laid back and cleaner than Nairobi. The city is located amongst seven hills, and the green, hilly landscape is simply beautiful. We're really happy to be here :)

Important Contact Information: our new mobile number is + 256 716 2323!!! We'd love to hear from you, as always.

A lot more adventures and stimulating experiences await us within the next couple of months and we look forward to recounting our impressions to you all.
Much love,
Kaitlyn & Christina

"all we want is a drink with an umbrella in it!"

2005-09-12T02:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Thanks to all who posted in our last update--it's so great to hear from you all, as usual :)

The R & R of our Mombasa trip doesn't only stand for rest and relaxation, but for roadside insanity and rambuncious new relationships! On the eve of our departure, we were offered a ride to Mombasa from a Californian woman staying at Savelberg, instead of taking the bumpy old bus. We gratefully accepted and trekked out the next morning (a good hour and half later than originally planned) for our seven hour ride. We packed five people snuggly (to say the least) into a four-door sedan, no easy task, we might add. The ride turned quickly into an eight and a half hour tour through the eastern Kenyan territory of desert, mountains and pot holes! The roads--two lanes, some of them dirt, was a modern day transportation obstacle course with buses, trucks and vehicles bobbing and weaving (or "over-taking" as they call passing) around each other and the monster divets, speed bumps and massive pot holes that made our heads hit the ceiling of the car as we flew along. The trip was really only 350 miles total, but the pathetic road conditions made it an all-day journey. We were easily fascinated by the little collection of red mud huts, herds of cattle and goat, and roadside towns with little dilapitated hotels, small restaurants and bars, and elaborate mosques (most Eastern Kenyans are Muslim). Police check points also slowed our trip down a bit as well--three in total, all making sure we were wearing our seat belts and had properly inspected cars.

We finally arrived in the cover of night and were hapazardly thrown into a random taxi cab that whisked us off to our hotel. One of our first introductions to Mombasa was witnessing a young boy getting hit by a matatu bus and lying in pain on the street. Kaitlyn begged the driver to stop, but he nonchalantly said the police up the street would take care of it. Later, however, he was not detered from stopping the car to retrieve a hubcap that had fallen off his car. Again, a world of constrasts surrounds us.

With a sigh of relief (accompanied by a much-needed glass of wine), we reached our heaven on earth--aka Giriama Beach Hotel. The hotel was simple in its beauty, with flowers, palm and coconut trees, a prestine beachfront, and two glistening poolsides. Our first full day consisted of lazily laying on the beach, engaging in our first bartering experience (which we successfully mastered!), seeing camels on the beach, and finally getting that much needed drink with an umbrella in it! That evening we spiced things up a bit by going to a local disco tech called Tembo--a large, thatched roofed dance club complete with it's play list of songs from the early 1990s and late 80s and their own Michael Jackson impersonator! (He was really good too!)

The night got ever-more interesting when we befriended two Masai gentlemen decked out in all their beads, jewelry and robes, dancing to 50 cent (aka "cents" to the Kenyans). We all made for a very interesting scene and attracted a lot of open mouthed stares, but we had a fabulous time getting to know their traditional African culture and as well as their modern adaptations, hobbies and interests.

On Saturday we were graciously escorted around by our two new friends we met at Giriama, Peter and Kate. We went shopping at some local market stands and were whizzed around Mombasa in the typical reckless Kenyan driving style. Later that night we reconnected with our Masai friends who were great dancers and we had a blast.

The whirlwind weekend slowly ended with a nine hour bus ride (no AC and a baby that cried for two hours straight) back to Nairobi, thankfully accompanied by Peter and Kate as well. The beach, sun, breeze, palm trees, and new friends made quite an impression on us that will last forever in our memories!

It's amazing that we only have a week left in Nairobi before our next set of Ugandan adventures begin! We're tying loose ends and getting ready for our study to start. We were lucky to meet with another young man named Femi who just recently returned from Northern Uganda and gave us a ton of contacts. We can't wait to get there!

There's more to write, as always, but hopefully that's enough for you all to soak in for now! Love to you all and we hope you're doing well.
Hakuna Matata,
Kaitlyn & Christina

Pseudo Sudanese Citizens

2005-09-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

We're definitely getting into a steady grove now in Nairobi. We've even befriended several Southern Sudanese refugees who were intent on showing us a good time around the city. We were lucky to interview one refugee who was a former child soldier in the SPLM/A, the Southern Sudanese rebel army. He was conscripted when he was ten and fought for five years before leaving and resettling in Kenya to pursue his education. His story, like so many refugees from Southern Sudan, is frought with violence, hardship and resiliency.

On a lighter note, laundry was a priority for us this week! And let us tell you, if was no easy task. We spent a good two hours scrubbing, soaking, and wringing out our loads of clothes in the little wash room at the convent and then hanging out to air dry. It gave us a whole new appreciation for our washers and dryers back home.

We continued to visit many different peacebuilding and healing NGOs in and around the city this week. One in particular gave us some substantial insight into psychological trauma healing in the African context and they also have offices in Uganda where we can hopefully link up with in a couple of weeks. We made a third visit to Kibera on Friday! We were privy to some dramatic performances, songs and dance by a very enthusiastic youth group, and later we were invited to watch them play a rather aggressive match of football (aka: soccer).

Saturday was another fabulous experience as we hiked some of Ngong Hills. The "hills" were 2,460 meters in height and overlooked Masai Land. The weather was beautiful and the views were just spectacular! We brought our two new Canadian friends with us who are also staying at Salveberg with us. It was great to have some more company (our age!) and we all felt so invigorated and refreshed after several hours of hiking.

We finished the week off with a fun pool party hosted by our friend KJ. We got to meet other AU students who are now in Nairobi for the school's study abroad program and are so relieved that we decided to do our program independently! We also cornered Kermit Washington, former NBA player of the Lakers, who heads an orphanage and clinic in Kenya. He was impressed with what we are doing and we might even convince him to extend his trip to Uganda with us!

We've been hearing bits and pieces about the hurricane and send our thoughts and love out to those suffering in the disaster. Several Kenyans here have also expressed their sympathy to us as well. Please keep us updated with the latest.

We're heading out to Mombassa (by the coast) for some much-needed R&R this Thursday before we leave for Uganda. Can't wait to be relaxing by the beach for a couple of days! Keep in touch and we love you all!
--Nairobi over and out!

Telephone

2005-08-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the number: 254-725-798-992. You may need to wait a minute or two for the connection to go through.

Thanks!

"Temporary Nubian Citizens"

2005-08-28T02:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson have nothing on us--we are, without a doubt, the ultimate wedding crashers! We'd like to see them dress in the traditional Nubian gurubabu (we'll have to show you pictures when we get home, but for now use your wildest imagination), dance to the daluka, eat the palau, and parade up and down the slum streets of Kibera all day (that's nine hours and counting!). Talk about cultural shock--on both sides! Most of them had never seen a Mazunegu (white person) in traditional Nubian dress. The Nubians were extremely friendly and welcoming and insistant that we dance with them--which we mastered quite successfully since the daluka was simple in form (in fact, Christina's dancing was too sophisticated. Ironically, it was just my speed!) From being laughed at by children to being told how "smart" we look, it was definitely an experience we'll never forget.

Christina and I had the great honor and priviledge of being invited to THREE Nubian weddings yesterday all taking place in the second largest slum in the world, Kibera. The Nubians came from southern Sudan to Kenya about a hundred years ago and inhabited an area of Nairobi called Kibera, or "forest." Over time, however, the Kenyan government bought the land and distributed it to other tribes, making property rights a major issue in the Kibera slum today. This was our second visit to the slum; this past Monday was our first. To get a visual picture of our surroundings, some of our impressions: miles and miles of wooden huts with dirt floors and scrap metal roofs; rows of market booths selling fruits and vegetables, clothing, radios, fish, live chickens, sheets, toys, and underwear, to name a few; uneven dirt roads lined with divets filled with trash, maize cobs, and sewage; open fires, charcoal-selling stations, hair salons, tailor shops, medical clinics, and churches all operating out of dilapitated huts lucky to have electricity or running water. It was on this first visit that we met with several grassroots groups working for community development, peace, and human rights education. One of these was a Muslim youth oganization called al-Swafaa who invited us back for a series of their traditional Nubian weddings.

A quick overview of other exciting events that took place this week includes a trip to the Remand House, an institution that houses children arrested for a crime and awaiting trial. It is also a home for "lost" children and street children. We went there with an organization called Amani People's Theatre, which uses forum theatre and other artistic outlets to teach peace and community reconciliation. We got to watch the APT facilitator lead the children at Remand House in a variety of role plays dealing with the causes of crime. Although it was all in Kiswahili, we thoroughly enjoyed the performances.

We also attended a workshop on Friday on the topic of refugee resettlement and HIV/AIDS education. We learned a lot about the poor status of refugees in Kenya and their perceptions of resettling in America, Canada, or Austrailia. The HIV/AIDS presentation revealed the ongoing debate in African society between faith and medicine in prevention and curing this pandemic. We made some interesting connections; more to come on that next week.

On a social note, we happily met up with KJ, an AU friend of ours living in Nairobi and also had a wonderful Italian dinner with Obang, a dear friend we made at the Salveberg House where we are staying. It's such a small world--he also knows Julie Mertus, a human rights prof. at AU!

So far no major illnesses (knock on wood) and the food's been great! We love chapati and have had sushi, Mexican and Italian in between our authentic Kenyan cuisine. Time seems to be flying by and our days are filled with meetings--we are perpetually in high demand! We're looking into lots of future connections and avenues to build relationships and help, especially in Kibera. Thinking about you all and hope everyone's doing well! Best of luck to those starting school this week! Again, we love to hear from everyone, so keep the lines of communication going.
Much love,
Kaitlyn & Christina

Quick Change

2005-08-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

Hey all--

We just wanted to clarify the cell phone situation. In our last post we said that you need to dial+1 and then our number if calling from a cell phone; we just realized however, that the number 1 is the country code for the US. Instead, find the country code to Kenya and dial + (Kenyan Country Code) then our number: 0725-798-992. Sorry for the confusion! We'll write more later.
Love,
Kaitlyn & Christina

"Temporary Safari Citizens"

2005-08-21T03:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all--

Christina and I became "temporary safari citizens" yesterday as we ventured off on our very first safari through Nairobi National Park! The park huge--maybe 500 square miles--located in the south of the city. We traveled through the dusty, dirty roads (and made our own roads through the bush at some points too) via matatu, or mini-van. (Note: we were NOT driving ourselves, thank God!). We saw wild zebra, antelope, ostrich, water buffalo, monkeys, birds, giraffes, (but no lions :( ) all in the wild. The savannah was beautiful, as was the weather--the first sunny, blue day we've had since our arrival! It was an amazing experience and really made us feel like we were in Africa! It was also a little surreal at times because as we were bouncing through the trails, we were listening to modern hip hop and rap (always mixed in with the requisite celine dion and michael bolton). Tunes from Ludacris, P. Diddy and 50 cent and Mariah Carey provided a strange atmosphere against the savannah and African wildlife. Nevertheless, it was all an eye full that we fully captured on film and camera!

After four days of being in Kenya, we finally got to cheers our first Tusker ("my beer, my country")--the official Kenyan beer. Although we had been privy to this delicious libation in D.C., there was nothing quite like the sweet sweet taste of it in the off the beaten path Nairobi restaurant and bar. We even taught our Kenyan friends to "tap down" after the cheers, a traditional Christina Halstead drinking ritual. We drank and danced (yes, Kaitlyn danced...) and listened to some great live Kenyan music! Our, shall we say, gracious host Joseph definitely knows how to show us around!

Work at PPA has been very interesting, to say the least. As far as actual work goes, we could not really elaborate for you. While we are still trying to figure out what exactly they produce in term of tangible results, we have had our days full of meeting tons of people who are constantly dropping into the office. Kind of like a Peacebuilding Institute, for those who know. Tomorrow we are going into the slum Kiberia, the largest slum in Nairobi and possibly East Africa. We are going with a priest who does work with many of people there. We are excited about the opportunity, but it should definitely be a sobering experience.

We are learning our way around and even managed to figure out the chaotic bus system! We're picking up Swahili and are already planning several trips outside the city to Mombasa (on the coast) and Kisuma on Lake Victoria.

We also got a cell phone! It is a lot easier for YOU to call US. And would be much appreciated too! Our number is: 0725-798-992. If you're calling on your cell phone, make sure to dial +1 first and then the number. You can buy international calling cards for land lines. Make sure you look up the country code before you try to call. Between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. YOUR TIME will be best. It's cheap for us to text, so if you want to post your cell phone numbers, we can also communicate that way.

We love you all! Thanks for all those we've heard from and we look forward to hearing more!
kwaheri (goodbye),
Kaitlyn & Christina

We Have Arrived!

2005-08-17T03:40:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family!

Contrary to popular belief, Christina and I have NOT been eaten by lions...yet! We have arrived safely in Nairobi and are adjusting ourselves quite well!

We're staying at a very peaceful Catholic Convent called Salvaebarg Retreat House where we each have our own room with a bed, sink, closet, and desk. We also get our meals served there so it is all very convenient!

Today was our first full day in Nairobi and we've started off with a bang! We had a morning meeting with Joseph Ngala, the director of People for Peace in Africa (the organization we are associated with here) and then went to another meeting at the Rockefeller Foundation with a man named Pat Naidoo who gave us scores and scores of fabulous contacts to look up while we are here. Already, there is so much to do!

The weather is a bit chilly since it rained last night, but compared with D.C. humidity, we are loving it! We just had our first trip to the supermarket and were very impressed--it was huge and kind of reminded of Wal-Mart with all it's home appliances, furniture, etc.

We are going to get a cell (or mobile) phone hopefully by tomorrow and will post our number. We heard it is easier for people in the U.S. to call us. Please feel free to call or text message us (texting is cheapest). It is a seven hour time difference.

Ok, we must run. Love to you all--keep in touch!!!
xoxox, Kaitlyn & Christina :)

About This Blog...

2005-08-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! As our departure dates looms closer and closer ahead, we wanted to create this blog as a useful tool to communicate with all our friends, family, and colleagues while we are in Kenya and Uganda.

Christina and I will be able to post updates, comments, journal entries, and pictures on this blog to keep everyone informed about what are doing, seeing, and learning.

How YOU can interact with US: at the end of each posting you will find the name of the person who posted the above comment, the time of the post, and a link to comments. Click on the "comments" link and you will be able to respond.

If you have either some juicy gossip or deep secret to tell us that you don't want posted for the world to see, we will still be checking our personal emails so feel free to reach us there: kcrooks@roanoke.edu and chal25@hotmail.com.
Much love, Kaitlyn

Trip Itinerary!

2005-08-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

We are departing this lovely country on Monday, August 15 at 6:30 p.m. from Newark Intl. Airport and will arrive in AMSTERDAM at 7:50 a.m. on August 16.

We leave Amsterdam at 10:45 a.m. and arrive in NAIROBI, KENYA at 7:50 p.m. on August 16!

We are staying in a Catholic Convent in the city center of Nairobi for 1 MONTH. During that time, we will be working with a grassroots non-governmental organization (NGO) called People for Peace in Africa. We have already set up meetings with influential peacemakers in the region and have many contacts with other NGOs and UN offices. We're also going to be taking language classes (Swahili), getting adjusted to the culture, doing some in-country traveling, and (gulp) probably getting a little sick as we adjust to the food and allergies.

We are departing Nairobi on September 17 and are traveling to Kampala, Uganda (the capital city).

In Uganda we will be working with several organizations, including "Give me a Chance" in Kampala (southern Uganda), "Sunrise Children's Village" in Entebbe and Lira (central Uganda) and "Friends of Orphans" in Jinja (southern Uganda) and Gulu (northern Uganda). We also plan on connecting with international humanitarian organizations in Uganda, such as World Vision, Christian Children's Fund, UNICEF, and the World Bank.

We will be flying out of NAIROBI on Thursday, Dcember 29 at 11:50 p.m. and will arrive in London at 5:45 a.m. on December 30. We leave London at 10:30 a.m. and will finally arrive back at Newark Airport at 1:30 p.m. on December 30, 2005!

Welcome to CHIP Letter

2005-06-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings Family and Friends,

We are preparing to embark on a four-month intensive study of grassroots organizations that threat youths affected by violent conflict in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Our principle objective is to collaborate with prearranged grassroots organizations to gain a better understanding of the tools, methods and theories that are being implemented to effectively handle the healing needs of children traumatized by the conflict in Uganda. The study aims to survey and assess these healing practices, the results of which will be pulblished in a final report and complimented by a video documentary.

We are both currently half way through our graduate studies of International Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) at the American University's School of International Service (SIS) in Washington, D.C. As eternal optimists, we have been continuously intrigued by the achievement of sustainable peace in post-conflic socities. In the field of security studies, this is called peace building. For our Master's thesis, we are concentrating on peace building in Africa.

Additionally, our peace building efforts have specifically focused on the phenomenon of children and conflict. Through our studies we have become increasingly aware of the crises involving millions of youths abducted as child soldiers, displaced and uprooted from their homes, left parentless, diseased and victims of torture and violence. In the spirit of service and action associated with SIS, we feel strongly compelled to gain first-hand knowledge of organizations working to treat these children.

After discovering where our passions lay, we designed an independent research project to be implemented in Uganda that will assess what certain regional organizations are doing to address psychosocial trauma healing needs of children affected by the 19-year conflict in Uganda's northern region. Over the course of the Fall 2005 semester, we plan on diversifying our efforts across Uganda. We will utilize a variety of enthographic research methods with an approach that is highly anthropological, placing an emphasis on cultural healing methods.

The anticipated outcome of this study will highlight what we assess to be the most effective and essential methods and tools used to heal traumatized children. Our expected findings aim to illuminate a survey of current regional practices as well as specify shortcomings and posit suggestions for future healing strategies. Additionally, we hope our work will contribute to ongoing studies in the emerging field of children and conflict, specifically in the psychosocial needs of rehabilitation.

This is an ambitious proposal, but one driven by passion and dedication. We would like to invite you to become involved in this cause and support our research. The research and documentation supplies, travel expenses and living accomodations required to successfully execute this project are extensive, and as graduate students our finances are constrained. Any contribution, regardless of the amount, will be greatly appreciated.

In order to assist any contributions that we may receive, the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD) - the organization Kaitlyn interned at for the past five months - is allowing us to use their 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization to ensure tax deductible donations. Checks written to IMTD with the memo of "Children's Healing Initiative" will be placed directly into our project fund account. We would greatly appreciate any donations to be made prior to our departure dated, August 15, 2005.

Additionally, we would love to hear from you while we are in Africa. Any communication, via email or through postings on this blog would be a huge treat for us.

One of our favorite quotes by Mahatma Gandhi is "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." With your help and our passion, this study has the potential to ameliorate the suffering of at least one child and infuse hope for a peaceful tomorrow. Your support means so much to us and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Much Love,