Yesterday we visited Pobba, an Internally Displaced Persons camp about an hour (30km) outside Gulu.* The camp itself was the largest camp for people who were run out of their villages by the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) during the war. At its peak in 1996, there were 60,00-75,000 people living in huts around this camp. Today there is less than 25% of that population still living there, which is a testament to the successful replacement programs used by the Ugandan government, NGOs and other organizations.
* Fun fact: it’s within 30 miles of Sudan!
Unfortunately this was one of the most frustrating days of the trip, aside from the sad and humbling sites at the camp. Our hosts decided to take us to Pobba because it was the largest of the IDP camps. They had good intentions, but unfortunately we were joined by another Rotarian woman who has been living and working in Gulu for the last 3 months. As a result, we had to transport 9 people in a vehicle made for 8. The day before we actually crammed 10 people in the same vehicle for a series of short trips, but this was a 75 min drive crammed into a land cruiser on a rough, bumpy road. We were less than pleased. As much as we tried to go with it, I think it tainted the experience for a few of us.
We’ve got another long car ride to Fort Baker today, which has an interesting history as well. Hopefully we’ll get an extra car if we have any additional, unexpected travelers.
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