Posted by : Lizzie on 05/11/2010 at 13:12

Growing up in northern Uganda, David grew up in a violent war zone. He and his people suffered at the hands of the neighbouring Karamojong tribe, Alice Lakwena's "Holy Spirit Movement" (HSM), Joseph Kony's "Lord's Resistance Army" (LRA) and even the government's "Uganda People's Defence Force" (UPDF). The worst of it began when the HSM and LRA started abducting children and forcing them to fight. Any who resisted were killed immediately.

David was still in primary school when he saw firsthand the horror of what happened to those who escaped the rebel soldiers. Arriving late for his sub-county music competition, he walked into the school where it was held and came across the most traumatic scene. One hundred of his schoolmates and the other competitors were dead, beheaded and dumped into pits in the ground. This was the HSM's vengeance on a few of the boys who they had previously abducted but had managed to escape. David ran all the way back home in fear that soldiers would come for him too, many times running through the dangerous bush to avoid soldiers on the road.

Another time, David was gardening with his aunt when a soldier from the LRA came to take him away. David ran for his life. After threatening David's aunt, the soldier left to fetch the rest of his group. Thankfully, by the time they returned, David's aunt had hidden herself so the soldiers were left to vent their frustration on the garden, destroying one of David's key food sources.

One day at secondary school, David and his fellow students heard that LRA soldiers were planning to abduct children from their school, so they ran to hide on a nearby hill. However, one of the students with them was an LRA spy, so the soldiers followed them to the hill. They stormed the students from the top of the hill, shepherding them towards the nets they had ready at the foot. Running down with the other students, David tripped and fell into a ditch. One hundred students were trapped in the net and abducted by the rebels. David stayed hidden in the ditch all night. When morning came, he ran through the bush back to the relative safety of home.

David told me more stories than I can recount of the times he was a hairsbreadth away from being abducted. His home was destroyed more than once, both his parents were seconds away from being executed before being rescued, his three brothers were all abducted and forced to be soldiers. David spent his childhood years running, keeping barely a step in front of the rebel soldiers.

"He that fights and runs away lives to fight another day."

I've heard this saying so many times, but never before have I seen the truth of it in someone's life. David spent years running for a reason; so he could stand and fight for today's youth. Even haunted by nightmares of the things he had seen, he wasn't weakened by these, but rather strengthened by his experiences, compelled to reach out and help other youths who are troubled by their past.

This is why we are so proud to be partnering David, to support his vision to provide a youth centre for the traumatised youth of Patongo. Haunted by violent memories, stigmatised by their community, forgotten by the state, we know that they will always be welcomed by David and, through him, find hope for their future.