Return to Uganda

Michael and I are trying to squeeze in as much as possible before we leave for the town of Kitgum tomorrow. We went in the morning to an HIV/AIDS clinic, then I met with a group of people being trained as paralegals, ate a small lunch, napped for an hour, and then went with Jennifer to an introductory counseling session.

The AIDS center was heartening and sad. Heartening because a lot of HIV-positive people are now getting drugs and other services; sad because so many aren't. One woman who hadn't gotten any was in the center's hospital room. She looked terrible. Her eyes were sunken and her lips were trembling uncontrollably. The center staff was going to start her on antiretrovirals that afternoon. We were told we should check in on her again and see how well she most likely will be doing. We will, when we return from our three-day trip tomorrow to the town of Kitgum.

A brief on the paralegals: They are being trained to informally resolve disputes in internally displaced person's camps. The biggest source of arguments now are domestic violence and property rights disputes. With the cessation of hostilities agreement that has flowed out of peace talks, some people are returning home and trying to claim land. It's a huge problem.

I am, unabashedly wearing two hats when it comes to Jennifer: journalist and friend. I had started making arrangements before I ever got to Uganda to connect Jennifer to a counselor in case she needed someone to talk to about readjustment pains. Sister Pauline of Catholic Relief Services, humanitarian aid organization, took Jennifer and I to a counseling center in Gulu run by the Catholic group, Caritas. To my surprise, Jennifer agreed quite easily to go. The center's director explained the counseling to all of us, then took Jennifer into a private room for a brief chat. They came out and the director announced that Jennifer was excited to have someone she could talk to about her life and Sister Pauline, bless her heart, offered to arrange transportation for Jennifer when she had appointments. I'm very pleased that Jennifer will have this outlet. I don't know if she will talk about the attack, but I think it would be good for her.