Mwebaza Foundation

The Lord’s Resistance Army (a militant rebel group formed in 1987 by Joseph Kony) grew increasingly violent across Gulu and the surrounding communities through the 1990s. In 1996, the Ugandan government ordered all civilians in northern Uganda to relocate to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. At one time, an estimated two million people lived in those camps.

Because the LRA specifically targeted children and young adults to forcibly recruit, the impact on this demographic was shattering. Throughout northern Uganda, an estimated 30,000 child “night commuters” fled their homes every night to reach urban areas and the centers of IDP camps because abduction was most likely to occur during evening hours. Most of these children commuted without adult family members.

This was childhood in Gulu for nearly two decades: a nightly commute to safety, and a morning commute back to village homes. Children slept on verandas, in churches, under rooflines, anywhere the density of the town offered protection by proximity. Martin (pictured below) has shared stories with us about leaving his home each night to sleep in the bush with his family so they wouldn’t be killed or taken.

It was in this environment that Martin donated a portion of his land so the community could erect an open-air metal structure that would serve as a place for children to sleep in relative safety while parents stood watch. “Community” refused to die even in the darkest years.

CONTINUED ON OUR BLOG ❤️🤘🏽 Mwebaza.org/Blog

📣 Uganda trip POSTPONED!!! Currently, Uganda is reporting 9 Ebola cases, and the U.S. State Department raised the travel advisory to a Level 4 - “Do Not Travel”. With these considerations, and the thoughtfulness of our Board of Directors (shout out: you all are the BEST), we’re postponing this trip until later in the year or potential next year! Thanks for all your thoughts and support during this interesting time! We’ll keep you updated on how our partner communities are faring but gratefully, Uganda has a history of success in containing and eradicating infectious diseases.

Uganda Travel Update!

We want to keep our community informed as we evaluate our upcoming Uganda trip. We are actively monitoring the situation and expect to make a final decision by the end of this week.

Here’s where things stand:
Uganda is currently part of an active Ebola outbreak driven by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. Ebola is not an airborne virus- it is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids.

As of May 26, Uganda has reported seven confirmed cases, including one death. All cases are linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the situation is much more severe.

Uganda has responded quickly with containment measures, including border and transportation restrictions. At this time the CDC issued a Level 1 Travel Health Notice for Uganda- the lowest of three alert levels, indicating travelers should practice usual precautions. The WHO advises against blanket travel bans, while the U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory, indicating “Do Not Travel”.

We are carefully reviewing guidance from health officials, government agencies, and our partners on the ground. The safety and well-being of our four staff members and three volunteers is our top priority.

We appreciate your patience, support, and concern as we work through this decision. We will share another update later this week.

Questions are welcome in the comments- we’ll do our best to answer them thoughtfully.