26/8/2013
Kyangwali refugee settlement camp is
located in the south west region of Uganda in the Hoima District. The camp,
which is located next to the Congolese boarder, is predominantly inhabited by
Congolese refugees fleeing from the wake of chaos caused by the M23 rebels. The
drive to the Kyangwali refugee settlement camp from Kampala was like no other
that I had ever experienced before. The drive took the new and returning
employees of AAH (Action Africa Help) as well as myself on a minimum five-hour
journey to the camp which was an adventure in itself.
The last quarter of the trek was
on an unexpected, uneven, unpaved dirt road through the thick plains of western
Uganda. These roads were almost too easy to divert off the road into the nearest
ditch, which at some points along the way were as slick as wetted-down ice, even
when it has not rained. Numerous times along our trip we came across many
unfortunate travelers who had fallen prey to the gullies who mocked travels alongside
the road on the way to the settlement camp.
As we approached the camp the sun
had already set. There was no outdoor lighting in this area of Uganda; darkness
covered us with a thick blanket from above, all that was visible were the
starry cutouts from above that provided as much light as a distant torch trying
to penetrate through this dense canopy. The staff quarters, “Sub- County”, was
as quiet as it was still when we arrived in the compound. Then when we pulled
up, life began to flutter as all of the curious faces poked out to see who was
arriving.
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| The apartment where I will be living for the next six weeks |
