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Helen is 54 years old and is mother of nine children - three of whom have
passed away.
The most recent of her children to pass away was her twenty year old son who was
worked so hard by the Ugandan Army that his chest swelled up to an alarming level
before collapsing and taking his life.
Helen used to work in the hospital but has had to stop for two reasons. Firstly
she has cancer of the uterus and
could not handle the work. Secondly her elderly
mother is very sick. They tend to look after each other.
Her husband was a government soldier, but was killed in an LRA raid in 1971.
Acholi tradition dictates that if your brother dies, who are honor bound to marry
his widow. Helen was therefore forced into marrying her brother-in-law (who
already has a wife).
She earns money by digging land and distills a local moonshine that the government
soldiers drink. The digging can be very difficult due to her cancer.
She receives no food aid from the UN sponsored World Food Program (WFP) because she was looking after her sick sister on the registration day.
She has been in Kitgum for 11 years.
It is just too dangerous for her in her
village. She faces twin attacks there.
The first come from the nomadic Karamajong tribe. The Karamajong themselves
have poor land and will often raid villages when they need food. Rose and
her husband were in their mud brick hut when the Karamajong attacked. They
set fire to the grass roof of their hut near the door to ensure the occupants would
have a hard time escaping. Helen and her husband were lucky though - they
managed to rush
through the fire-engulfed doorway and received only minor injuries.
Then there is the LRA. Helen and her family were hiding in the mountains when
they LRA attacked her village. In the house next to Helen's, one person was
killed and three were abducted. One of the abducted managed to escape many
years later during the confusion of a fire fight.
She does not want the ICC (International Criminal Court) to
prosecute Joseph Kony - the head of the LRA - for his crimes against humanity.
She feels he will stay in the Sudan with the ICC charges over his head. She
thinks it is much better if he is just forgiven and life can return to normal as
soon as possible.
She is encouraged by the craft project. Due to her cancer, she doesn't really
have the strength for manual labour - though she will do it if she must. She
likes it that she can sit down and make the beads.
Above all she wishes to return to her land and work it for a profit so she
can pay for her children's' school fees.
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