Acholi Quarters - an update

Many of you will know bits and bobs about Acholi Quarters - one of the places I visit each time I come to Uganda, and where I have been privileged over the years to be linked in with the lives of many. 

It’s a place of smiles and laughter, and a place where heartbreak and the enormity of the problems could easily overwhelm. But I’m grateful to have some wonderful friends there, and to have many memories of joyful times spent just hanging out with them and getting to know the community and understand the cultural realities more deeply.

Today I was back there for a catch up and what a lovely time it was.

I had the joy of seeing the 4^th Mercy Scout group go off on their first ever camp. This is a scout group that I was able to help set up a couple of years ago, and the youngsters love being part of a movement that is so much bigger than just Acholi Quarters. They have communicated with, and met, cubs and leaders from the UK, heard about scouts in different countries and know that they are linked to the wider world through this group. 

Today, they added a new story to their life journey – going on a coach to camp, sleeping out in tents, being away from home and Acholi Quarters (some for the first time), having green fields to run around in, having space to be themselves. It was fab to see them loading up the coach and setting off, and I’m looking forward to going out to the campsite on Saturday to be with them.

Also whilst at Acholi, I was able to get an update on two young people, not related at all, that I wrote about a few months back who were each homeless and without family to look after them. The lad, age 15, and the girl, age 12, were both spending the end of each day hoping that a kind family would let them sleep on their floor for the night. 

Harriet, who acts as informal social worker, fount of all local knowledge, and essentially is the person without whom we couldn’t manage, mentioned them to me, as she was getting increasingly concerned about the situation which was clearly unsustainable. 

Thankfully we were able to find a short-term solution by getting hold of mattresses and blankets and letting them sleep in the schoolroom at night, and Harriet would feed them and just look out for them, as well as caring for her own three children.

Today, Harriet brought me up to date – the two young people are still sleeping in the schoolroom, but Harriet has moved to a new ‘home’ (aka a one-room building) to be closer, and her oldest girl (age 16) is also sleeping in the schoolroom to ensure everyone ‘behaves themselves’. By being just next door, Harriet is better able to support all 5 of the children which are now in her care.

So, a good solution to that situation, and another confirmation, if ever I needed one, of just what a guardian angel Harriet is to so many – I just wish we could give her a little ‘guardian angel allowance’ to reduce the worry she permanently has about finding money for food.

My third happy conversation today was with Salago, a young widowed father of 3-yr old twins. He is currently unemployed, and the twins are with their grandparents up in the north of the country. But grandparents can’t cope, and the twins are missing their dad, so he is planning on bringing them down to Acholi Quarters.

The conversation today was around his dreams for the future. Basically, what he would love is to get some training in a trade that will then allow him to earn money and be able to take care of his family. Not a big dream and one that was very much focussed on equipping him to become independent – the right sort of dream!

As we chatted, Salago said that he would like to train to be a tailor and to get a qualification so that he can then set up his own workshop. He then said how he has already found the place where he’d like to train – a small enterprise that is run by two qualified tailors and that does on-the-job training for students. The student has to pay the training fee, and in return they can help in the workshop and get some small allowance for any work that they do.

So, Salago has signed up and is doing some work for them and will get started as a student. Thankfully I’ve got a donor who will cover the cost of the training fees so that any allowance Salago gets can go on rent, and daily provisions for himself and the twins. A very satisfactory outcome!

I came away from Acholi reflecting as always on the experiences of the day. Acholi Quarters to me is a true example of community at its best – where people look out for each other, put others first, join together in times of need, celebrate each other’s ups, and support through each other’s downs.

It’s a place where faith, hope and love are very much a part of everyday life. It’s a place where 1 Corinthians 13 is lived out so beautifully. It’s a place that I pray I will be able to go back to time and again – as it is a place that resets my perspective, restores my faith in humanity, and brings laughter and smiles and togetherness into the heart of all that is happening.