Displace Me

This weekend is a big event for the lives of Ugandans and for our nation. Starting Saturday afternoon thousands of people are participating in "Displace Me." In a city near you, those people, you could be one of them, will recreate an Internally Displaced Persons camp. The purpose for this is to create empathy in those who participate. Empathy for the children and mothers and fathers who live in "IDP" camps in Uganda. The other mission of the night is to let the government know that we the people gotta help end the war in Northern Uganda! Could you live on nothing but a ration of a little raw grain and a jerry can of water? Can you imagine having to starve as you wait for the next UN or USAID ration arrives? I know that I would neither like that nor would I want to go through that pain. So why is it okay for Africans to feel that pain. To live that pain? Are they a lesser people? Are they somehow deserving? BY NO MEANS! Where you live and where you were born should not determine whether you live or if you are born.
So, this weekend, see what it is like to sleep under a cardboard box and to hunger a little. VISIT Invisible Children to find out more information about which city you can attend the event or to know more about the issues of Northern Uganda.

Update

In the last entry I did not mention the town in which I will be living. The town is called Ikotos and it is in the extreme south, bordering Northern Uganda and Kenya. Most of the truck traffic is from Uganda. Kenya is 150 miles away (and a 5 hour drive!). For up-to-date information on Sudan, go to news.bbc.co.uk or to the CIA Factbook link. As of late, Southern Sudan is safe to be in. Ikotos is far from its northwest neighbor that has made the news: Darfur. Although, Juba, where most of the "lost boys" come from, is close to where I'll be. Fortunately, most of that is now cleared up. The school in which I will be working is new and as of now, I do not know which grade I will be teaching. There was a choice of primary or secondary levels and I left it open to need. Right now I'm working with 3rd through 5th graders and I love that, but I also have taught and currently volunteer with teenagers, which I also love.

*also, note that I have added an email address for you to contact me.

Southern Sudan

Today, I just found out that I'm going to Southern Sudan instead of Northern Uganda!! A few positions opened in a school there in which AIM and the school think that I'd be the right fit. Very few people are allowed into Southern Sudan so apparently this is a rare opportunity. I am extremely excited about going to Sudan, just as much so as Uganda. Sudan is the first country to draw my attention towards East Africa by reading the book "They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky" written by three of the "lost boys" and Edited by Judy Bernstein (a must read). The issues of Northern Uganda and Southen Sudan overlap because of their geographiv proximity.
Most likely, on August 27th I will be in Pearl River, NY for a 3 day orientaion and then I will fly to Kampala, Uganda for training. Then, I will fly to Southern Sudan to teach for a year. My accomodations will be a mud hut with a thatched roof with no electricity. My water source will be a bore hole and my bathroom, well, not much different. No problem though...that's what all those years of training on the Appalacian Trail prepared me for!! Also, at the Alldredge Academy, where I worked from last June until November, and will be working this summer, I sleep under a plastic tarp with no running water or electricity or bathroom. Of course, I know that this will be different from being in Appalachia and this will be a new experience, but with a few familiar qualities.
This is all the information I have now, but I will keep you posted as I find out more!

Bono's Acceptance speech at NAACP awards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENp7c6TtBHk

watch this video, for Bono says how I feel better than I could ever say.

Bricks in the wall

Between pastor Ed and my friend Sonya, I have decided that the best way to describe raising my salary would be like in Nehemiah where they build the wall to the city. Each person had their own job and each person was a part of the wall construction. So, in my case, what I will need is a group of 100 people to give $50, a group of 50 people to give a $100, and 25 people to give $200. Of course, I will also be overjoyed if there are those of you who can better afford supporting me monthly. My plan is to tally off each category on this blog as it collects people so that you can follow along in the building project. Whichever category you fall under, I am so very thankful for you and I want you to know that you are a part of something bigger than a girl going on a trip. You are a part of global community. You are part of a global change.