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Hope North Newsletter Introduction | Biographies | Articles
I am a Ugandan by nationality, of age 21 years old, from Apach District in northern Uganda. However, from my childhood I never knew that I would reach this age because life became so dangerous and it was uncertain in many ways. I had nothing to put on, to eat, no medical care, and studying was out for me due to the widespread poverty and insurgency in our region. My condition worsened when my parents died. I felt like hanging myself but I prayed so hard to God not until he saw for me something better in my future. I lost hope when I could not go to school and others were going. To worsen it still, my parents left me with three children after their being captured and killed by the L.R.A., leaving me a great challenge for there is only me to cater for them in all aspects of life. I wonder and am so much regretful. My first priority in life is education since there is no future without education. I only want to be a doctor in the future because many people are dying lacking medical care and assistance. Thus I want to save lives in the whole world at large. I have seen how hard being an orphan is. I want to look for all the possible means of helping/assisting them in all aspects of life and some of the street kids plus vulnerable groups of people when I finish, and succeed in all my dreams. Read "Report on the Negative Effects of the War in Northern Uganda" by Otiti Thomas
I am 17 years old. I am a Muganda by tribe, a Ugandan by nationality. I am in Senior Five and I am studying extremely hard to become a journalist and I am very proud of my goal. There are quite a number of challenges that I have experienced. At least every home in Uganda has witnessed this and you the reader can be my witness. I have lost quite a number of my relatives who have died of AIDS, my agemates who were born with AIDS, and I lost my dad in 2001 who as well died of the same enemy, AIDS. Through my experience I have come to find out that AIDS has got no friend. It can attack anyone of any age at any time. Read "Interview with the Project Manager of Hope North, Candit Flabin" by Nakalembe Ruth
I was born in 1990 in the northern region of Uganda in a district called Oyam district, Aber sub-county, and I am 18 years old. I am a Lango by tribe and I was having all my parents but now as I speak they are not alive but my guardians are Okello Bonny and Polly. They are the ones supporting me. At school, I like music because I am a king dancer of kot Alex and Okello Olwa, because as I dance they give me some amount of twenty thousand shillings per song. I do this during holidays. This is done because my guardians can't afford to give me pocket money, so I have to work for it. After completing my senior four ordinary level, then I will go for my advanced level, and then I will go take courses either for law or politics or force. By then, I will be having some money so I can continue with my own music performance because music is my favorite thing. I plan to get married in 2025. Read "Condition of the Camps in Northern Uganda" by Olara Jeazy
I am sixteen years old. I started going to school when I was seven years old when I joined Patongo Primary school. I continued studying there until I reached primary six. Then after that, the rebels came and caught me from the village. I started moving with them. What I experienced from there, they put all the people in a canter-lorry (*type of truck) whereby those who are still young they group together. If you have just joined they will beat you seriously. They will make you to carry 50kg of salt or sugar or a full bag of maize. If you have done something wrong the punishment is killing you and they will pick anyone to go and kill using panga (*machete) or an ax, etc. So if you have been given someone to kill and you refuse, instead they will kill you. When I stayed there, they gave me someone to care for myself. I stayed for one week without eating but I was stealing the food from our fellow friend. It was not easy but with God's grace I survived. The day when I came back from the rebels, I found there was no one in our place so I decided to go to my guardian who is the brother to my father. From there I stayed one more year without going to school in Gulu. After one year I joined primary six in Kasubi Army Primary School in Gulu in 2005. I passed to primary seven in 2006 and from there I sat for my primary living examination in 2006. After that, my guardian told me that there is no money for paying school fees. I started staying at home for one year. I was planting sugar canes in the village Opil in Gulu district. So the following year in, 2007, I started struggling looking for an organization in Gulu that was for an orphan and returner in Gulu. I tried Windle Trust in Gulu but I failed. I went to Save the Children I failed, KPC I failed and then I went to Kicaber Support War Victims in Uganda. They accepted to pay my school fees in 2007, so I started preparing to go to a school called Hope North in 2007. Nowadays I am not facing a lot because I am in the school and I want to continue with my studies until I become an engineer because I am in vocational section. I am an orphan and I have to read hard to forget about everything in order to become a good citizen in my future. Read "Names of Animals in Luo Interpreted into English" by Okot John Bosco
I am called Concy, born on 8th June 1993 at around 3:45pm, a night whereby my mom was alone at the room without my dad and she was having nine children in the room. I grew up in Gulu and my dad sent me to a school called Unifat Nursery and Primary School. After my primary three, my aunt sent me to Mary Immaculate Primary School in Gulu, then transferred to Kitgum Prison Primary school where I was staying with our second born who married there. In 2004, I lost my dad and I was not around when he died. His last words for me was on the 4th May 2004 when I was leaving Gulu going to Kitgum. He told me to be disciplined and study hard to become a nurse like my elder sister. When I lost my dad, my mother transferred me to Holy Rosary Primary School for my primary seven where I sat for my primary leaving examination and I passed very well. From there they took me to my O level at Kitgum school called Y.Y. Okot Memorial College and for my senior one. During holiday third term they told me about a sponsorship under Kicaber and I went for registration and I succeeded for the sponsorship and they transferred me to Hope North Secondary School where I joined my Senior Two. I have got a lot at this school and I would like to thank director Mr. Okello Sam for his support he has given to me because I was not to be educated if he was not to help me. In addition, I send my congratulations to all members of the teaching staff around Hope North Secondary School. I recognize their support and their help that they have given to me and I would like to study hard so in my future I can be a nurse, a lawyer or a minister so that I can help orphans the way Mr. Okello Sam did to me and I would like to help the elderly, the poor, orphans and anybody who has problems. I would like to help them with some support. In addition to that I, would like to be a musician because Christian Doll has taught me with some activities like creative dance, music, drama, and now I know more concerning about music. These things I have written down so I will be a respected woman and obedience to one another to make all people happy.
I am the Peace Corps Volunteer at Hope North and my official title at the organization is Administration and Development Team Leader. I grew up in New Jersey before receiving my bachelor's degree in Sociology and master's degree in Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Chicago. Before joining the Peace Corps, I worked at a homeless shelter on the far south side of Chicago and as a case manager and English teacher for newly arrived refugees to Chicago. I live in a beautiful grass-roof hut within Hope North's small community. I will be here until May of 2010. Most of my work has been in improving accountability, doing administrative work, keeping in touch with our many partner organizations, taking care of guests to Hope North, and writing grants and applications. My greatest passions are theater and film, so I have been very excited to start a drama troupe at Hope North along with The Newsletter Club. Soon, I will start producing some documentaries with the students and the community. Introduction | Biographies | Articles |
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