Children Affected by War

For 20 years rebel warfare in Northern Uganda has left thousands of children and young people abducted or living in cramped displacement camps. This year Abaana opened a school beside a displacement camp called Awer in Gulu. We are helping to rehabilitate those who have been affected by the war through microfinance iniatives, planting crops, farming, teaching women how to sew and hopefully develop other projects to benefit the children and families in this area.

Children born in the north of Uganda have seen things they should never have seen. They may never have heard of an X box or playstation but they do know what an AK47 looks like, they may have even used one! 

Education in a safe environment is the best hope for their future. You can help raise the funds to keep the school running with supplies, teachers and food. With your help we can give these children a future that they thought they could only dream of.

Story of Janet

I was chased, captured and abducted by rebels when I was 15. The rebels had previously killed my parents by setting their hut on fire. They made me walk to Sudan and carry heavy items with swollen and painful legs. While crossing a river I dropped salt. I was lined up with ten others who had dropped things. I was tenth in line. The rebels cut the throats of all nine but when it was my turn the officer said that I was new so I shouldn't be killed. I was beaten with fifty strokes but thought it would have been better to die.

I was given a commander; 'Director', as a husband because I  was considered a beautiful girl. The commander had 16 wives who asked him not to sleep with me because I was a young virgin but he became angry and raped me.

Everyone had to carry out brutal training. The women were only allowed to walk on their knees and my knees bled. If anyone stood up due to the pain they were shot to death. I was made to steal food and trained to fight by using AK47 machine guns. Food was scarce and I began to starve. Many people died due to an outbreak of cholera. I had no water, the only source of liquid was my friend's urine and damp soil. I didn't want to live any more but I had to.

I often had to walk to the border of Uganda and Sudan to hide weapons, landmines, bombs and any food that was given by the Sudanese government. It was extremely dangerous as the bombs sometimes exploded because of the heat.

The commanders held secret meetings and decided to kill Kony, their leader. One commander betrayed the rest and Kony decided they were to be killed as a punishment. The 'Director' ordered his wives and children to come to his hut where he planned for us to commit suicide by detonating a bomb. At this time I was pregnant so I decided to go and sleep with him and steal his weapons. When I was there he saw me. He decided not to carry out the mass suicide and was later imprisoned then killed by a bomb. 

Kony decided to let us go back to Uganda. We marched back to Gulu with swollen legs and without food. I managed to contact my grandfather. All I wanted was to be accepted by the people of Uganda again but this didn't happen. I eventually found solace in a group of young mothers who were former abductees and also had children.

God blessed the mothers and sent Robert and Abaana Ministries to visit them. Abaana has helped to rebuild our lives by giving the children toys and supplying goats, pigs and crops to the families, giving us hope and a brighter future for our children.