About a month ago, I had the opportunity of going to the town of Moroto to minister in the prison. I was intrigued by this offer so I said yes. My morning started early; we left around 5:50 A.M. This itself was a blessing because I got to watch the sunrise. It was spectacular!
When we arrived in Moroto town, we had breakfast and went to the prison. We split into two groups of three: men went into the men's prison while us ladies went into the ladies' prison. Inside the ladies' prison we were welcomed by a group of women singing and dancing. The joy these women have despite their hard situation is amazing. Our Bible study lasted a couple of hours and was repeated again the next day. This particluar women's prison held 38 ladies, whose ages varried from young mothers all the way up to grandmothers. Four of these ladies were pregnant at the time of our visit. As said above, some of these ladies are mothers, therefore, 16 young children lived within the prison walls with their mothers. Life inside the prison is not easy. So, when our team visits the prison, they bring gifts for the ladies. This trip we brought two boxes of pads, one box of bar soap, and seven small blankets for the babies that were recently or soon to be born.
(Due to security purposes, I was not allowed to take any pictures inside of the prison, although I would have loved to show you their beautiful faces.)
God is the greatest artist!
These two mountains mark the boarder between Teso region (where we live) and Karamoja (The region Moroto is found in). Once you pass through the mountains, the land and people completely change. The Karamojang are very decrative people. The ladies have intricately braided hair. Both men and women wear lots of jewelery: necklaces, earrings, nose rings, bracelets, and anklets. Men will usually be seen carrying a staff and some may be wearing a hat. Some individuals have tatoos on their faces.
Pictured above and below are two fenced in compounds. The fences are made by the ladies of the home who weave together sticks until they form a thick wall. The only way into the compound is through a small opening in the fence (seen near the man in the white shirt pictured above).
Sunflower fields are very common in Karamoja. The Karamojang eat them.
The Karamojang are known for their large herds of cows. If you look closely in the following pictrures you will be able to see that the great number of cows is being herded by a single man or a few small boys. Historically, the Karamojang raided surrounding areas, stole their cows, and killed the inhabitants. Currently, however, only few Karamojang are still raiders. These raiders dwell up in Mount Moroto, which boarders Kenya. The raiders move back and forth from Uganda to Kenya so they can avoid being caught.
On each sice of the road are dirt wide paths. These paths are created from the numerous herds of cows that walk along them throughout the day.
The landscape is very flat, except for the occansional mountain. The small bushes scattered throughout the land are acacia bushes. These bushes have long, sharp thorns. For this reason, the Karamojang wear thick sandals made from old tires.
After the prison, we stopped for lunch with our team at a local restaurant. This was my dad's meal: Posho (made from maize flour) and Nile Perch.
This is Mount Moroto. At the base of this land mark is the town of Moroto. On the other side of the mountian is Kenya.
A river bed that I got out to take pictures by.
At the base of this mountian/hill, the president of Uganda has an under-ground house (you can see the white gate).
My visit to Karamoja was amazing! I loved seeing another part of Uganda! The people of Karamoja are visibly different from the people I live with. There was so much to learn and there is still more that is not shared with outsiders. However, Karamoja is a very unreached area. As described above, the land is very flat and very dry which causes a lack of food. Poverty is extreme. Karamoja has received foreign aid for many years. However, this has given the Karamojang the mindset that any foreigner will give them something. What struck me the most was whenever I greeted someone in town, they didn't greet me back, but instead held out there hand and expected me to give them something. How sad! What many people don't understand is that giving to people in need, instead of to organizations that help them, may have a huge negative effect. Karamoja is a region that is heavily impacted by witch craft. Much of the jewelery they wear is tied to witch craft and the hope that it will bring protection from evil spirits. In the prison, out team teaches the inmates that a Christian does not have to fear evil spirits because we are under God's protection (1 John 5:18). We are not a slaves to fear, we are children of God. Our hope is that each inmate will meet their Savior within prison walls and shift their mindset so they see themselves and each other through the lense of what Christ did for them. When the inmates are released from prison, they go back to their various villages equipped and ready to share the gospel and the message of freedom that Christ offers.
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