Andrea and her friend in front of a hut in Padibe
It’s been almost two years since I left Padibe IDP Camp and this week I returned. I was so pleased to see so many changes and so many friendly faces.
In July 2008, my friend, Lara Rosenoff, and I embarked upon a one-month stay in Padibe Camp to raise awareness about internally displaced persons (IDPs). At the height of the conflict in northern Uganda there were well over two million displaced persons here and over 24 million worldwide. Lara and I noticed that this issue was being ignored. We were determined to do something about it. With the help of the local community in Kitgum District, our project went ahead for a full month.
This past Monday, I drove into Padibe after a field visit with A4A Uganda’s youth groups in Agoro (a sub-county close to the Sudanese border) and for a minute I didn’t even recognize it. I even had to ask my colleague Paul where we were because things looked so unfamiliar. Instead of close-knit huts and vacant stores, Padibe was packed with new restaurants and greenery. I was in shock—but I was thrilled.
I went to the centre to find friends, but I discovered that most people have returned to their villages. It was disappointing that I wouldn’t get to see everyone on this visit but I was so happy to hear that they were home and doing well. During our stay in 2008, there were over 25,000 people living in the camp and most could not return home or feared doing so.
I only had a chance to stay for two nights but I plan on going back again soon. Although help is still needed in Padibe, there are many signs of hope for the future. Local youth groups have sprung up and attendance in the schools is high. I have even heard that electricity should be arriving in the next couple of months. It’s very exciting—though just a little too late for the World Cup!
– Andrea McKinlay is a former GuluWalk organizer and employee at Athletes for Africa. She is now working on the ground in northern Uganda with one of A4A’s local partners. Contact her here or post a comment below.
