Oh Gulu!

My homeland
The great city of Northern Uganda
The land blessed with poor bright children and fertile soils

Oh Uganda!
Where there is no peace
My people are being robbed of their property
People are being killed day and night
People are suffering

Oh Uganda!
What is wrong?
Where are people going?
Where are the young stars of the city?
How much longer will this period last?
Those questions come with tears rolling down my cheeks

Oh Uganda!
When shall we have peace?
We have been forcefully separated from our loved brothers, sisters and parents.  
We have been forcefully taken from school
Every night we move a lot to look for sleeping places

Oh Uganda!
We eat what comes each day but not with diet
We use only torn clothes with no difference from dustbin
We only see gumboots for our shoes

AIDS

The killer, the world's sickness, murderer of the young and the old
Our parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and my friends, all beautiful, shining

Fall down on hard rock like a ripe mango

Disappear like leaves being shed off a tree like dry seasons leaving me alone, alone, alone

Father's love is so sweet and not forgetful
Mother's love is so precious

Uncle's love is so constructive

Friend's accompaniment is so enjoyable

But Aids does not care, kills them and leaves me alone

K. Charles

War! War! War!

War! War! War!
Who created you?
Where did you come from?
What do you want from us?
Oh! How I hate you!
You bring sickness, darkness, sadness and disaster
What do you want from the world?
Why do you want to fight against peace?
Oh! How I hate you!
What do you gain from fighting?
What do you gain from killing?
Oh! How I hate you!
One day we shall unite and put you to an end.

Paul

Untitled

What my eyes saw, injustice!
What my mind remembered, frustration!
What my body experienced, pain!
What my heart felt, broken!
What came my way after the bush,
a ray of hope!
Thank God.
I am glad I am in school again.

Christine, 17, a former child soldier who was abducted, sexually abused, made pregnant, gave birth to a baby girl. She later went back to school.

War and Kony

War and Kony!
You are making people
To suffer day and night.
You are ruining the future of children
here and there.
War and Kony!
You are making people to lose their residence.
You make people move in water like
A swimming fish.
You make young children walk in
thick forests like animals.
War and Kony!
Because of you, people’s legs swell like
the one of an elephant.
We are tired of your war,
Especially we, the northern Ugandans.
No peace everywhere.
We, the young ones, are really suffering
My dear parents, what should we do?

Harriet, 15, walked long distances in forests, parts and bushes without drinking or bathing, was forced to have sex.

Joseph Kony is the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, the rebel group responsible for the plight of the unfortunate children of Northern Uganda.