James Wani ran from conflict for the first time as a boy. The brutal dictator Idi Amin Dada gained power in Uganda. James escaped to what is now South Sudan, his education disrupted. Sudan descended into civil war and he returned to Uganda as a man. Home again, James took two wives and attempted to continue his education, proceeding up until senior three. At that point, he stopped studying and turned to farming as a means of survival.
War came again, as Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army rose to power in northern Uganda. James was captured on three separate occasions. Each time he was tormented in captivity. He does not describe his experiences in detail, alluding instead to a horror unspoken.
The war is over, and Uganda is calm again, but James remains unsettled. He does not see true recovery yet, and feels that he and people who suffered as he did lack support. Many basic needs are simply left unmet, as people struggle to get clean water, or reach hospitals on dusty and unpaved roads. The land itself is difficult to till and cultivate, because it was left empty for such a long time. Listening to James speak, it is not difficult to imagine earth that is full of blood.
The lack of support is so extreme that James claims that should another conflict break out in Northern Uganda, it might be better to return to the bush and join the rebels.
He is also a community leader, with concrete suggestions for peaceful change and development. James believes that livelihood and education programs will greatly serve the community, as many struggle to make ends meet, or to send their children to school. He also hopes that new health clinics can be established. Personally, he longs to educate his nine children, but lacks the resources to do so effectively. He claims that his hands are tied and hopes that Adjumani can receive more assistance in the future.
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The Justice and Reconciliation Project remains committed to supporting the voices and needs of vulnerable populations throughout Northern Uganda. JRP has supported three Women’s Advocacy Network groups in Adjumani, providing income generating items and loan capitals.
This article is part of a larger series on the needs of communities in Adjumani. The project was made possible with the support of the Trust Africa Fund, with the goal of elevating forgotten voices and evaluating the success of existing programs. Interviews with from the project will aid in the development of a best practices guide for supporting victims of sexual and gender based violence. This guide will be presented at an international exchange in Nigeria. The guide will also be circulated to researchers, practitioners and government officials to ensure effective response.
Project Interviews were conducted by JRP Communications Intern Sophia Neiman and Research Assistant Benard Okot. Translation was provided by Emmanuel Anyovi.