Northern Uganda Refugee Camps: Report March 14

Sketch of northern Uganda/South Sudan ministry areas

REPORT: Northern Uganda Refugee Camps

.docx

Updated 8 March 2014 3:00 PM GMT +3

Web page of this report____________

Dropbox _________________

Dropbox: Top Maps of South Sudan and Uganda

Attention:

Chadan Leadership

BGR

Kentucky Disaster Relief

Louisiana Disaster Relief

Mike Mills

Wycliffe Plan Uganda

Nelson

JOSEPH

JULIUS

Addendums:

Database of northern Uganda partners/players

Additional Reports links at end of report

Maps SS Ethnic map

Mark up how refugees got to camps

No. Uganda Google Earth Map(s)

You can read/view additional trip details at

http://www.creekbank.net/blog
Pinterest curtiles
Twitter curtiles Ethan bossier #UpCountry #AfricaAdventure
Facebook curtiles ethan bossier

QUICK INDEX

1. Adjumani Camps (South Sudanese)

2. West Nile Camps

Rhino Camps (South Sudanese)

b. Koboko Camps (DRCongo Kakwa)

3. South Camp of Karuma Falls

Quote of the Day:

“We’ve all been refugees. Jesus was a refugee.” -Ugandan pastor

Summary Page

Takeaways

The challenges are overwhelming. The opportunities are unlimited. The fields are white and closely packed.

Toughest Questions:

The needs are unlimited. How do we prioritize?
The people are impatient. How do we interact?
The rains are coming. How will it affect situation in Camps/Access to Camps/South Sudan political situation?
Where are the Nuer? We never met one Nuer in Adjumani although narrators mentioned their presence. Are they in Rhino? Camp south of Karuma? One camp we missed in Adjumani?

5. Which camps have the greatest needs?

6. Which camps have the most immediate needs?

What are gaps we can plug quickly, gain traction, and win respect?

Ailo Camp, Uganda

His name is Ngany.

It’s pronounced “Win.”

His name means “Why weren’t you here yesterday?”

He is without parents.

He needs our help today.

Day 1 Friday 28 Feb 2014

We make the 4 + hour drive from Arua/West Nile.

Eatin’ Ethan Bossier at Ferry Fish Festival

Lapori Ferry Nile crossing was uneventful.

Only in Africa do you fill out your next of kin before boarding the boat. Only in Africa is your seatmate a goat. Let me be clear: he was tied to his master.

Lodging Adjumani Catholic Youth Center

Catholic Youth Center Adjumani

George Manager

Very good facility good food/consistent electricity/water

Went to Liberty Baptist Church/Adjumani ( Pastor Henry ___________). Meeting of thirty pastors/leaders was ending. Combination of local clergy and SS pastors from camps. They were Sharing OneHope book for use with children.

Met Justin Wani. hprmission@gmail.com +211 954 5722 44 211 921 300 863 MTN 256 0 7777 133 06

He lives in Juba. Had good intel on how to bring supplies through the organizations OPM/UNHCR stores but still be part of personal hands on delivery. (Gaba Community Church Kampala Peter Kasirivu ) He seems to be a good resource. Justin is in process of FBO registration in Juba. Attests to having led numerous organizations through process. “Knows the people.” Will try to learn more about him through local pastors.

Robert Ethan met him.

Impact South Sudan had personnel present.

Pastor Joseph, Robert, and George (Youth Ctr Manager)

Who we traveled with: Pastor Henry/Pastor James/Jeremiah/Cissy/Robert

First stop was at OPM (Office of Prime Minister)

Coordinates:

Director Pascal received us warmly. (His wife is member of Henry’s church.) Gave him greetings of our ongoing communication with his office in Kampala (Charles and Douglas).

He requested pit latrines/bathroom for OPM compound. “Folks arrive here/often stay all day and we have inadequate facilities. This would help.”

Greatest needs:

Education

Water

Health

Encouraged us to meet UNHCR leaders:

Ambre Coordinator (Egyptian)

Omar Protection Director +256 (0) 77 600 5807

Ailo Camp

Ailo (Eye-low). It is on Gulu road just prior (south) of Dzaipi Transit/Reception Camp. (From quick view, it seems transit camp has been mostly emptied.)

Note: Some arrivals daily. Coming from Elegu (UG) Entry Camp (just south of Nimule border.)

Ailo is newest camp 1000-2000

Primarily Dinka Bor from Jonglei State

We were directed to camp leaders by Majak (0000-000-000), a young Dinka man.

At director’s tent (Coordinates ) we net Bior who is leader/Man of Peace of camp. With him was Kure (Ker) who worked with dept. of Education in Jonglei.

Both Bior and Kuer were very concerned with the education of the young children in the camps. They both attested to being former teachers.

Question: what would help provide for their education needs? (more teachers, resources, school buildings, school supplies, etc?

Question: How we get definite figures/names of camps/PGs/specific names (Peter/James) Red Cross?

Greatest stated needs:

1. Education Ailo Camp is primarily youth.

2. Construction Disabled lame/blind. 37 names recorded. Need help with shelter construction (“If supplies/funds are available, men would build shelters”) Meet blind lady next to director’s tukul. Bior is trying to coordinate chiefs/pastors/nurses/ to identify needs. Forming a town council.

3. Water

“Boreholes are under construction” 2 weeks timetable

Right now water tanks (saw two ____ gallon) are being filled daily with water from Nile/local streams. Treated sometimes, sometimes not.

Many residents are filling water needs from muddy stream. With the number of people, the heavy people traffic around the streams makes the water more muddy and contaminated. Many also use the same streams for bathing.

Water source at Ailo/Tolugi Camps

Julius ____________ met us here. He has been in Ailo/Toluji Camps all week. Sleeping out “to experience what the refugees are doing.” He is working with construction of shelters. Family

Julius ___________ XXXXX, Pastor Paul XXXX Curt

Family heads are encouraged to get pole/poles and then _________ supplies “carpets” tarps. In Toluji I saw several tarps with MSF scribbled on tarp

Toluji Camp Newest camp. COORDINATES ON MAP

The lack of shelter problem is worst here. Whole families (elderly/children) have piled there few belongings and are sleeping under large trees as their only form of shelter.

Very sobering

Julius has been working in this camp as well as neighboring Ailo.

New shelter at Toluji Camp.

New residents at Toluji Camp

Boroli Camp

(2000) contains multiple PGs including Zande (Juba) Anuak/Murle/Madi

Camps are built on head of household. Each family gets block approx.. 50 ft x 50 ft.

Today’s three takeways:

1. New Adjumani camps seem to have the most needs and opportunities.

2. Severity of Survival needs

3. Education is always named as priority #1, then physical needs.

Today’s two tough questions:

1. How will be we prioritize projects and locations?

2. Education?

“You can live without love, but you can’t live without water.”

DAY 2 Adjumani Camps

Today’s Takeaways:

We possess the most important resource: the Gospel of Hope.
We should never apologize for coming to pray

Tough Questions:

How do we meet education needs and stay focused on the Gospel?
Is Jesus Film ministry the right thing at this time?
Reception Camp residents want to be settled but are they better off than in unconstructed camps.

We visited four (4) camps today all located north of Gulu Road

1. Bapitouku Camp located north of Adjumani/Gulu Road

Grace Baptist Church is adjacent to Bapitouku Camp (Pastor Paul ____________ is pastor.

Job (son) is evangelist.

Patrick (son) traveled with us on Sunday

Also met Mzee, Paul’s father and Patrick as well as Momma

At Camp, we met these leaders:

Simon Peter, Youth Chairman

Camp Chairman Big Man

Stated needs:

Education for children contrast with adjacent “Save the Children” playground
Mobile Health/Transport “It costs us 10,000 UGx for boda boda to Adjumani hospital
Water “1 tank filled 1x per day
“Migration numbers are continuing influx”

Camp numbers: “originally 4010” all Dinka from four (4) counties in Bor/Jonglei

Blocks are 30 x 30 m

Family/Household can vary from “2 to 13” and all receive same allotments (plot and ration card)

Nyumazi I Camp

Most settled of all camps so far. Active market.

Met leader ____________ “22,270 residents”

And co-leader __________________

Huge needs

Leader urged us to return with “something to show.”

Residents were primarily Dinka but seemed different (nearly all women wore headdresses)

NGOs (Nelson/Wycliffe) workers expressed concern on swampy area

Nyumazi II Camp

This is a reception camp.

We met Mzee leader ___________________ “A human being is a human being.”

Most residents told of being at Nyumazi II since January.

They were frustrated by uncertain status in reception.

Population “250 + households” including some Shilluk/Madi/Zande from Juba area.

No soap

Limited Water MSF (Emily from Maine and _________ from Tennessee) working with water.

Complaints on food (porridge for children) lack of clothing, and water

Arrivals still coming

Sunday Day 3

Our team for day

Wycliffe

Nelson

Joseph

Patrick

Gloria

Robert/Joseph

Mirley coordinates and maps [MU1]

Primarily Dinka

100 old households

122 new arrivals Dinka Jonglei

Mussa chairman non-Dinka

Complaints against the Greek widows and allotments.

Challenges

Food no food/perception of tribal allotment/ Madi vs. Dinka

“Those in offices are Madi and take care of their own.”

Water 1 borehole for entire camp insufficient

Education very much children 1 primary school fees

No health center very far insufficient medicine

Lack of firewood

Expensive charcoal

No land for crop production

Disabled 98 people Food/shelter/school fees[MU2] /

General Language barrier health centers/dispensary Send interpreter!

SCHOOLS We cannot provide fees

School fees are not sustainable Income producing Development goats chickens pigs heifers Tailoring Honey Construction

Provide a facility in the location

Boroli Camp maps and [MU3]

12 Tribes Mostly came from Juba Which are Bari tribes

Murle predominate tribe

Madi

Anjok Anyok

Acholi

Nuba

Kuku

Shilluk

Zande

Mandari

Bari

Lokoya

Latooka

Student Chairman James Ronald Kidongi 0 777529814 Murle Entebbe Craig

Asserted that

Camp Chairman John Spoke Arabic 0 77796 57 75

Reserved at first. Spoke with Murle John

Young boy who took first call

7000 people

350 households

Challenges

Long-lasting suffering of Murle[MU4]

Food not enough

They were unloading maize bags first in 15 days

Education

Water one borehole only

Drilling one borehole

Getting water from stream

Health facility nothing on site

Birra facility health center in Adjumani

Emergency Transport

What can work small motorcycle with sidecar (Wycliffe)

Church construction materials needed

Land 30 x 30 m for each household

Sports/Recreation needed

Full Gospel Church

Pastor Lagu Cizarro 0774 000 30 1

Mamma Anjura Juliet Music Chairman for district

Presenting the Gospel and sharing the message of hope.

Ulua I Coordinates[MU5]

Simon Garang Dinka Bor ECS pastor chairman 0 788 11 8

095

partial church construction

3000 in Camp 1 all Dinka some Nuer [MU6]

300 households

Challenges

Food 6 kg/person/month posho/maize no beans

Education Teachers are not enough No secondary 900 pupils primary

Brand new secondary without teachers/ no desks/no textbooks/no exercise books

Save the Children

Plan Uganda play for nursery

Wycliffe has name of organ

Female orphans Nelson

Farming

Seeds ACCORD once gave seeds moved office to Moyo

Implements hoes axes pangas

Malaria cases

Low use of nets

Pregnant mothers and children under 5

Impregnated nets

Sports equipment soccer occupy minds and time

Chairperson of Sports Soccer/Board Games/

What about water locally produced simple [MU7] filtration rainfall collection

Language barrier

One borehole

The Word Church people need Bibles English Arabic give through local pastors

Media Players give through local Baptist Pastors

Jealousy from local citizens/villages

Iron sheets 60 need 90 more 40,000-50,000 UgX per sheet

Language barrier when going out from camp

Ulua II coordinates and maps and

Home of red rusty water

110-year-old woman

Translator Jacob 0775 47 23 55

Camp chairman Chief Long Ears non-English speaker

“I’m going [MU8] to tell you something . . . We came with nothing.”

[MU9]

430 households

Dinka

Long term residents

And new arrivals

Challenges

Health Center needed

Water rusty red water from borehole

No tank we have sample.

No secondary school

Merijo primary school

Food shortages original allotment was sufficient but it has dwindled in half. Noq 5 kilos of posho monthly

Problem of people coming, promising, and not returning.

Promised them we would be back.

[MU10] Sleeping materials nets blankets sleeping pads

Jerry cans, utensils, sauce pans, pots, pangas, soap, blankets

UNCHR problems; took grandma there and dropped her

190 special needs elderly, disabled, orphans, blind

A baby was being born underneath a nearby tree. A cluster of women surrounding mother for privacy, empathy, and aid.

“40-50 women are pregnant with delivery before June.”

Idea: Birth Kits

Momma Kits Joseph (Madi) _________and his wife Jessica (Kakwa) at their home

Near Adjumani (UG). Jessica is holding a birth kit from Uganda Baptist Seminary (Evelyn Frost)

We visited 102 year old woman, holding a crying baby

Aliwara coordinates and[MU11]

In the boondocks

Camp Chairman Madi Maku Charles 07777 57 35 75

1004 people

Moli tribe there SS

Kerapi tribe Madi area

Paderi tribe Madi area SS

Opari Madi area SS

Madi Loa SS

Madi Nimule SS

Acholi SS

Kuku SS

Padjulu

Baka

Came down in 2^nd Civil War to escape SPLA/Khartoum

Challenges

Food problems

Scarcity of Land for family

School

Secondary school is very far

Health center Inadequate stock and staff

Great distance to health transportation

Maternal child care needs limited

20 orphans living with relatives

152 Disabled

3 Boreholes are adequate

Malaria

Nets are old and torn

Mongula

Chairperson Kenny Julius 0 774 0 3 469 6

Did not meet

Ben Vice chairman 077 51 24 8 90

Had a market.

Had MTN cell tower

MAJII CAMP

MONDAY

“24 sites/530 people Equatoria tribes Madi/Kuku/Acholi/Bari

40 disabled/6 orphans

We met with:

Local Chief Big Man in green

Chairman in Oregon Ducks shirt

Police Chief Richard checked shirt

History: 2007 arrived at site 10 households

2008 more arrivals from Equatoria areas. They found relatives here.

Purported leaving related to LRA and instability in SS

No recent arrivals.

“They Came/They Saw/They Left Truckload of Dinka recently arrived but chose to return. No other Dinka and seclusion.

No secondary school

Health

First line treatment only in clinic

Health transport for pregnant women only

TB/Diabetes/Epilepsy are continual challenges

Broken microscope in health center for typhoid testing

Hep B is prevalent. No screening.

Schools have toilets with no roofs

Land has low fertility

Dry then swampy

IDEA: Farming God’s Way

Water Rusty (am only) water in 2 boreholes

Neither near school

NUSAF Northern Uganda S A Fund

Malaria: no nets

Idea: how to address malaria prevention?

Food: 6 kilos/head/month

Idea: Water Collection/Harvest who will study this?

Idea: Education who will study this?

GERIS Australian NGO on schools

Exercise books/Pens/textbooks/teaching aids needed

Many have no ID cards.

Ration Cards

Birth Certificates difficulty on securing.

West Nile Camps

Koboko Camps

The Camps in Koboko/Lobule are comprised of :

Wajo (Waji) serves as the Reception Camp for all DRCongo Kakwa refugees. Summary of three (3) visits to Wajo Reception Camp:

Camp is administered by Danish Refugee Council (“DRC”).

Silva (DRCouncil) is Camp manager

Caroline gave us tour

William WEF ???

We met Amon (DRCouncil) who shared about gaps:

Water and boreholes

Trucks (LWF) are currently trucking water “10,000 liters per load/360,000 UGx/ Boreholes cost 20,000,000 UGx”

“890 households” “3302 RESIDENTS” purported in entire Koboko Camps

[MU12] Soap 250 g of soap/person/month. 500 g is needed. This is for washing and personal use.

Concrete slabs (supplied by Danish Refugee Council) for family latrines ‘450+ needed’ goal is moving from communal bath/latrines to family units.

Bathing shelters needed.

Minor needs: Jerry Cans and containers

Health Transportation: acute stated need in every location.

Idea: With Open Eyes

OPM has office at camp

Met Annette with OPM office.

Jolie is commandant but was not present

We met _____________ president of Koboko Born Again Fellowship. Our leaders spoke highly of him.

Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is working within local camps on water.

“He adopted me.”

We were on tight schedule and I encouraged our group to move on. Daniel (Koboko Church Leader) said, “These people look like they have broken hearts. We must stop and share.”

He was right.

We had a short time of singing, sharing, and prayer.
It was needed.

It was right.

There are presently 4-5 Settlement Camps

a. Adologo visited March 14 coordinates: report below

b. Kuku water needs

c. Wajo I 1 borehole

d. Wajo II 4 boreholes

e. Wajo III

d. O_______jo

e. XXXXXXXXX visited in Feb 2014 coordinates:

f. Lukuju (?) shallow well

Adologo Camp

183 Households 890 residents

Second local camp opened.

Support staff was present:

Susan Matiru Danish RefugeeDRC

Mandela Alemi Silas LWF

Jane Angaika LWF?

Alice Irene Baduru LWF?

“No currently elected chairman but interim is serving. Didn’t meet.”

LWF is supplying water (

One (1) borehole is operational (LWF) One (1) has just been completed (Danish Refugee Council)

Lots of new tukuls with more under construction (thatch/mud/wattle)

Stated Needs:

WASH

SANITATION “Moving from communal latrines to family units (concrete or plastic slabs needed/concrete are cheaper. Slabs are made in Koboko/Adjumani. Danish Ref Council purchasing slabs. Needs help.”

“No midwives/traditional birth attenders in area but not being used.” 20 are currently pregnant.” Very open to help on this/ Momma kits

HEALTH ‘Malaria and Typhoid are continual problems “

Transportation

No health center/ very far to Lobule/Pijoke

Narrative from tall man in blue shirt: “M-18 Rebels appeared in our area of DRC (just west of Koboko) in late 2013. We fled with only our children and no clothing. The rebels had new weapons and are part of conflict over splitting DRC. They burned all homes and all fled. We went to border and Koboko (UG) and Red Cross brought us here.”

Earlier narrative were similar with goals of M-18 stated as Resource Conflict (timber and minerals)

EDUCATION One of biggest concerns was adequate education. Primary students are crossing nearby stream to local school. Concern that rainy season will prohibit this.

Idea: simple ropes course type bridge over gully.

KENTUCKY WOMAN

RHINO CAMP

From February 2014 visit:

We have no evangelical churches near the camp, definitely no Baptist work. We do have John Monychol in the camp now.

John Monchyol Baptist Church Planter .

John is from Malakal\Upper Nile.

He is currently living in Arua and Rhino Camp

Arua refugee meeting at OPM Deputy Director, Alinatiwe John, 0772425718

Stats

8600 SS registered plus 4000 from other countries

Arrive at Keri transfer Center in Kiboko

Trend is that new arrivals are coming down 10-50 only daily whereas last week it was 500 a day

SS is still not stable so we are preparing for more people,

Need more land and facilities

45 agencies doing assessment

Intervention has been bad for months, not even one liter of water for each person daily

Mr. Mawa directs the Rhino Camp, his names means “suffering”, he had a meeting with the Nuer, Dinka, and Shilluk because of infighting, one elder said, “Kir and Machar are not here. Their children are not here, but in Europe living in peace. We are here and our children are here. We must make this our Europe.”

They have ration cards but they are being counterfeited to con the system

Organizations

UNHCR–they have already set priorities as to which roads are to be rehabilitated, deal with water

WFP-have enough food

MSF- on ground with water and health

Danish-help with structures and roads and construction of tukuls

Oxfam-help with water, 2 water trucks, 2 water tanks, 6 water taps, set up isolation units, boreholes are not functioning

UNICEF and Save the Children–UNICEF is doing vaccinations, StheC are trying to unify separated families

UG Red Cross in Aruba

Zoa-9 boreholes working well, 15 work altogether but some not so well, contracts are signed and will work within a week, the issue is the management by the local communities, if the borehole is rehabilitated the local community must be involved, each borehole must have a water committee to manage the borehole,

OPM-“we have to make sure that at least some of the boreholes are helping the host community”

Refugee informant named Luka:

Murle

Nuer (Jikany)

Dinka

Nubian

Anuak

Bor (Dinka)

Luo-Wau

Arua district has helped

Gaps

Water not adequate, big issue, need more storage tanks with taps

Health center is in bad shape with facilities and meds, no ambulance, hospital beds have no mattresses, refrigerators have no gas and cannot get bottles.

Teka settlement has great health needs

88 kilometers from Rhino Camp to Arua, roads to camp are in bad shape

Family planning is needed

Police are inadequate

Education is inadequate, majority of those coming are children, no facilities, no teachers, no high school, there are many youth with no supervision

Specific needs (PSL) elderly, single moms are many

Host community is giving free land and no one is helping them

Construction–poles are needed, wood is needed

Infrastructure in terms of buildings are needed. Schools, med services

Sanitation is going on, but most of toilets are filled up, need other toilets

56 unaccompanied minors only 27 have been identified

Opportunities

Land is adequate to accommodate 40,000 people

OPM-Douglas is the National Emergency Coordinator; we need to move from assessing to intervention

Agencies meet in Rhino Camp every Monday and Thursday at 10am

Some clusters are better than others, Kira is near the Nile, but not many wanted to go there

MSF and Oxfam-Need for new boreholes because the 9 are not adequate, need at least 11 more boreholes,

2 PM tomorrow is the meeting at Kira

Who is in charge of what sector:

Water-Andrew from UNCHR, We have permission to refurbish or drill boreholes, have to meet first with the Water Engineer, there is no history on the boreholes, survey and agree on which areas are priority, i.e. like near medical facilities. Agreement of management needs a MOU and training for maintenance, this would be the work for the local water committee to take charge, this is not in place but is needed

Roads–UNCHR-

Construction–UNCHR-Victor, we asked about putting up temporary tin structures, but the Local Chief 5 said that he would not allow temporary structures, but only brick buildings because those will last

Health–

Security–UNCHR- Stanley

Recommendations or ideas:

Boreholes needed

Someone to work with youth–sports, vocational skills,

RHINO CAMP YWAM JAN 2014:

In response, a group of YWAM staff made a survey trip to a nearby refugee camp here in Uganda. The refugee camp has over 11,000 South Sudanese refugees. Here is what they saw.

Once we reached the camp we were greeted by a large group of children who were excited to see visitors. The children had not bathed in many days as there is only one borehole for 5000 people. The line of water containers was long some said that they are only able to get water every few days. Moving around the camp we saw many families were sleeping out in the open; some had bed sheets tied to sticks for shelter. Others were sleeping under trees or in shelters made from their mattresses, which means they were sleeping in the dirt. There were no mosquito nets to be seen. People’s belongings were strewn out across the grass or piled up by their shelters. It is a good thing that it is the dry season.

We talked to David, the Assistant Settlement Commander. He said they hope everyone will be registered and after three months. But the numbers of people still coming in to the camp complicated the process,. There is frequent fighting in the registration line between tribes, which had been at war in Sudan. Sanitation is a big problem as there are only nine pit-latrines for 5,000 people. There is also a great need for health care workers in the clinic for the whole population.

We also visited the UNHCR who run the camps. We were warmly welcomed by the in-charge office Ms Salome . She said needs in the camp are overwhelming and they would be grateful for YWAM to help. She mentioned one of the biggest needs is for shelter. requested YWAM to help build a large transitional shelter to house people while they are being registered. They are resettling the refugees on their own plots where they build their own huts. But some cannot build themselves for various reasons.. This group includes the elderly, unaccompanied children, single parents with more than six children, and women and children at risk. There are 906 people in this category. Of these there are 85 children at risk who have been abused or tortured and 7 women at risk who have been either raped or abused.

Given God’s heart for the stranger, the lost and the widow we feel compelled to reach out these people and show the love of Christ. We want to help create a safe environment for the refugees to live in, focusing on the worst off. We plan to do this by working with the refugees and the UNHCR to build tarpaulin shelters, and a pit latrine for the families. We need to show immediate action, as in the story of The Good Samaritan. He did not wait, but met the need with action.

In summery we are aiming to do the following:

• To complete one large transitional shelter the total cost needed is $4,000 USD.

• For a single-family shelter including pit latrine total cost is $500 USD. We would like to do as many as possible.

We ask you to pray about how you might be able to partner with us financially and/or practically.

If you would like to volunteer please e-mail ywamarua@yahoo.com

5 Feb. 2014

Bob Calvert report from February 2014 trips:

Hello Mark and Susan,

Curt and Dede Iles, Kristen Sayres, Nancy and I traveled to these Refugee Areas: Rhino Camp near Arua, UG, Waji Camp near Koboko, UG, Dzaipi Reception Center as well as some Camps near Adjumani, UG, and Faith Baptist Church in Nimule, SS. This is a report of our observations. At the end of this letter is a list of recommendations we would like for you two to help us decide if they can be done or should be done at this time.

We were afforded an opportunity to listen and speak with those in charge of all these camps to better ascertain what exactly is going on. Our initial thoughts were “bedlam, chaos, despair, and despondency.” Once we got into the camps, after speaking with those in charge, we realized we were being too optimistic.

Although all the usual relief organizations were represented (UNCHR, WFP, Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children, UNICEF, Samaritan’s Purse, MSF, Danish Refugee, Zoa), it seemed they were having difficulty with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in making headway with the “host community.”

This was my first time observing Relief work. There were terms like “host community,” I did not understand, but came to loathe. This group of people holds sway over all that happens demanding the same food, water, medicine, and permanent buildings be built or nothing would happen. I learned old terms like “construction,” that were redefined to mean construction of roads, hospitals, schools, shelters, water reservoirs, etc..

I was amazed at all that goes in to Relief work: food, water, shelter, medicine, schools, security, roads to these far way places, erecting structures for shelter, dealing with the demands of the people who already lived in these places who were “hosting” the refugees. This was an administrative nightmare. Imagine a person in Kampala (Office of the High Commission for Refugees) giving orders to and getting information from uninformed, overworked middle men called OPM Deputy Directors who are trying to ride herd on all the NGOs, while trying to give direction to understaffed police and other local governmental offices. All the while this Deputy fellow knows the NGOs know more than him and the local government knows less than him, while the host community battles for their rights, privileges, their equal share of the chapati, at the cost of the beleaguered refugees who have nothing, sleeping in the rain at night.

We had some overall thoughts on this trip. We do not know if the people will go back home or not because of the continued conflict in both countries. This makes the entire refugee situation to be in a constant state of flux.

If we go back to any of these camps, or whoever goes back, we or they would need to contact our Baptist assets to reconnoiter the current situations in the various camps. Current updates are needed on what they are doing to minister and what the gaps are there presently. The situations change almost daily.

We will offer our recommendations here, but they are also copied at the end of each Camp Report below. We wanted to list them in some semblance of order for your perusal because we do not know if any are viable BGR projects or not. In the first two recommendations, we have Baptist pastors near to the Camps who are already ministering, but have little to no resources. In the last one, we have only one man and he might leave to go back home. Otherwise, we do not have any assets in Rhino Camp.

Recommendations or ideas for the Adjumani Area:

1. True Love Waits training or AIDS prevention for pastors especially with story sets. We do not have the True Love Waits training or AIDS prevention material.

2. Evangelize and do in-depth storying training for the pastors and people in the Camps. Start churches in the various Camps. We already have plans to do this work.

3. School supplies (exercise books, pencils, mathematic kits, school bags) for 15,000 kids, we are not certain if we can do camp by camp, but it all has to be done through Kampala Dept. of Refugee of OPM

4. Boreholes are needed.

Recommendations or ideas for the Koboko Area:

1. True Love Waits or AIDS prevention for pastors, especially with story sets.

2. Evangelize and in depth storying training for the pastors and people in the Camps. Start churches in the various Camps. We already have plans to do this work

3. BGR buckets, modified for the elderly or unaccompanied minors.

4. Boreholes needed

Recommendations or ideas at the Rhino Camp:

1. Boreholes needed

2. Someone to work with youth–sports, vocational skills,

We are not recommending continued assistance to Faith Baptist Church in Nimule, SS because we have received word that other organizations are on their way to help: E3 Partners, Empower Sudan, and some others.

Please get back with us and tell us if any of these are viable ideas, or maybe how they can be tweaked to be a good project.

Thanks,

Bob

REFUGEE CAMPS REPORT 2014

Adjumani Area

Dzaipi is the Reception/transit Center, there is another reception/transit center called Nyumazi I and II, these are where people are registered, Elegu is another reception/transit center near NImule

Stats and gaps

11 different camps in the Adjumani Area

46,876 in the area

15,000 school age children

150 people a day coming in

Relocation is slow due to little land given by the host community, found new land for resettlement and relocated 100+ households

OPM will share weekly with the management in Kampala,

New facilities will be ready Sunday–move from transit to a new camp, called, Ailo Camp, they want 16,000 new people there

They have now reached their 13 liters a day for each person for washing, bathing, cooking, hygiene, drinking,

Shelters are needed and they are requesting slabs

At the reception center they have about 5000 and that is increasing, the workers are fearing to keep telling the refugees that will move out when they are really not moving out, they need a team to go, not a single person.

The rains coming have complicated sanitation. They need pit latrines

the volunteers are cleaning, but not cleaning well.

Save the Children is engaging the community and volunteers,

38 families were relocated yesterday and 50 tents will be provided,

The NGO asked Qs about conflict in SS and the people were very uncomfortable about that so the NGOs were asked not to ask the Q

WFP all food goes through them, all are welcome to contribute, but all goes through them

Health-15 cases of measles, vaccinated over 90% for measles and polio, 3 main health issues: malaria, acute addictions, mumps

They have free treatment for HIV and TB people,

Major gaps

Sanitation in latrines and wash areas, they welcome partners

We observed serious problems with lack of shelters, water, and food

World Vision has secured land for child friendly spaces

Medicen Sans Frontiers

Working with waste problem

Having problems getting food, want to focus on nutrition and meningitis,

24,565 people were served food, but 410 households were not,

Warehouse management

There were delays in stocks

Oxfam

3 water tanks on the way

Health care package is available but it is minimal, really needs go to Adjumani hospital

2 snake bites a day at Nyumazi II

Not enough water for those who are further down in the camp

Police

Normal except for anxieties

Deal with gender violence

Uprising on food allotments

One man hit by a taxi

Traumatized people needing peace building and conflict resolution, as well as interventions for those with mental health

Need health workers in camp

“The rain is coming,” said multiple times.

Pascal said “We are trying to do the humanly impossible. Several times they said that The Lord must help. Curt got to pray the end prayer. Pascal said we can do anything spiritual but anything physical must go through Kampala OPM office. Pascal Atuai is the Deputy OPM 0779338445. We could take pictures and talk but not record or video.

OCID Adjumani is Richard Anyena

Julius Loketo, Mark and Joseph’s brother, is an administrator. His wife is Christine and have 3 children. +256754704850 or 0787273237

Pastors:

Liberty BC is Henry 0774210528

They have a Bible School by the airport–Philadelphia Bible School

Grace is Paul Biyo-Teaches Bib school, 0782541744

Trinity is Joseph 0787270708

Pachara is Patrick–teaches Bible School

Elema is Quito

Pagiranya is Peter

Abori is Joshua

Kureku is Opio

Opejo is Cyprian

Orichi Godfrey Ameku 078342476

These pastors on their own initiative were sharing the Gospel with several of the camps. They said they would do more but transport was expensive–30 minute drive from the town.

To do any physical things must contact:

Kampala Dept. of Refugees in the OPM office

Charles 0772361418

Recommendations or ideas:

True Love Waits training or AIDS prevention for pastors especially with story sets

Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

Northern Uganda Refugee Camps: Report March 14

REPORT: Northern Uganda Refugee Camps

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