Gulu travels
Obviously, I didn’t come here for a 6-month vacation. I came here to support different groups in need by giving them advice on business development and marketing. Well, let’s get started then. In order to do that, I needed to travel all the way up to the North. To Gulu, where my first project is taking place.
Just before I get into details, I have to describe our journey up here. Haha, it was such a joke. It didn't go as planned and that is totally okay because nothing rarely does here in Uganda or in any other country in Africa.
Let’s start with this, we arrived at the bus station 1 hour earlier because apparently that is what you should do just in case and I’m glad we did. It came out that we had to rebook it and that our 8am take-off is delayed for an hour.
“It's okay, no biggie,” we said tiredly. I was keeping my eyes on my suitcase that was literally pushed inside the bus with rest of the agricultural cargo and chickens, and then I got inside. It was very busy in there. The bus was full of traders in hopes of getting lucky by selling something to one of these travellers. I was too sleepy for all that hassle.
Finally, I put my sleep mask on and fell into a deep 2-hour sleep. By the time I got up, I was sure we were on our half way to Gulu. Haha, nope, we were still at the station because the front window needed replacing. The time was already around 11am and the sun was starting to get more and more intense. We were just soaking in our own sweat and praying that this will be over soon. Let me also point out that the traffic here is very dangerous and on these roads vehicles crash daily. So, when we finally got on our 300km journey, my enjoyment lasted just for few minutes until I saw how insanely they drive here. There was no chance of me getting back to sleep, as I was just crossing my fingers to make it alive to Gulu. In total with all the stops on the way, it was around 10-hour trip.
This is insane! Or should I say #TIA - This is Africa ;)
This is insane! Or should I say #TIA - This is Africa ;)
Gulu
As we were getting off the bus Enrico said,
“Welcome to Gulu city centre!”
“You are kidding, right? That cannot be all."
When people back in South told me that Gulu is very city-like, this was not what I had in mind. I mean how could this even be a centre? It is just a super cute little town with very dusty roads. And apparently it is the 2nd largest town in Uganda. Which is weird because its population is only approx. 150K but the whole population of Uganda is around 40M.
Nevertheless, I do love this town. It is very special. What I like about this is that it is very compact – totally opposite to my experience in Nansana or Kampala. I also feel like I’m here partly on a relaxed vacation as it so vibrant and dreamy at the same time. My favourite part of it is that it is surrounded by nature. And as the town is developing very fast, you can find almost everything you need in here. There are even some Mzungu hangout spots and supermarkets with CHEEESE!!!
Which btw I never buy because it has a price of gold.
Which btw I never buy because it has a price of gold.
Time for a history lesson
Gulu hasn’t always been so peaceful. It actually had one of the hardest hits during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict. Does the name Joseph Kony ring a bell to you? Yep, he was the one leading LRA and just recently, in 2006, he and his army were forced out of Uganda. Unfortunately, before that he succeeded to gain a reputation for massive human rights abuses since 1987.
“Kony and LRA is responsible for Africa's longest running conflict. At its peak, the rebels' brutal insurgency displaced nearly two million people in large areas of northern Uganda. To date, the conflict has seen more than 10,000 people killed in massacres, while twice that number of children have been abducted by the LRA and forced to work as soldiers, porters and sex slaves. The group got so increasingly savage that civilians who were suspected of supporting the government or forming self-defence forces had their ears, lips, noses or other sort of limbs hacked off.”
The Guardian, 2007.
Joseph Kony and mass amputations, imagine my face when I found out that I’ll be living in the North of Uganda for a month where that same war had just recently “ended”. Thankfully, after all this horror Gulu has become a town in transition. Locals are optimistic and ready to work, and NGO’s from all over the world are here helping to make Gulu stronger than ever.
What to do in Gulu?
Gulu is also very close to main tourist attractions like the Murchison Falls National Park; Kidepo Valley National Park; Karuma Falls; Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary; Karamoja tribe and Amoro Hot Springs.
University of the Sacred Hearts
Funny thing is, that now I actually feel a lot safer here than back in the South. Especially because I live in an absolutely blissful place – in the University of the Sacred Hearts’ guesthouse. Which means that every day I get a chance to have breakfast/lunch/dinner with the priests and learn something new about their culture and history. I just love it here! It’s clean, nice, spacious, with a beautiful garden and HOT WATER!
One day me and Father Matthew sat around the dining table and I asked him about the LRA terror and how it had affected him. He told me how at that time the threat of abduction had become so great that tens of thousands of children from nearby villages marched into the town centres each night to sleep in schools, hospitals and on pavements – anywhere they could find safety in numbers. One of those hideouts was the same university and the guesthouse. I felt shivers down my spine while trying to imagine how the kids in total fear were all trying to squeeze in here just to live another day tomorrow. It really puts your life in different perspective.
That is it for this week. As I still have one more week to go here, I will tell you all about my 1st project and its progress when I’m done with it.
Until next time ;)
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