My Friend Pamela

The following is a retelling of a conversation I had last year with a woman refugee from Congo, living in my village, who has now become my good friend:

Pamela lit another cigarette with her shaking hands as she stared at me. Her earlier promises to confide in me began to feel impossible stretched. Maybe another day, I ask. With a slight shake of her head, Pamela begins to tell me her story. Stilted only at first, her story tumbles out. Pamela is a refugee. She can no longer be with her husband or daughter in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Why? “I am Tutsi.” She is now living with a relative in our small village of Rwakaraba in the south of Uganda. “I miss my daughter but I knew my facial features would eventually get her killed. I look Tutsi.” And I have to admit, that she does look Tutsi, even to an American. Just last month, rogue soldiers broke into her home and began to beat her, all the while her eight-year old daughter hid under the bed. She attributes her past survival to her Dutch husband and his influence as a Mzungu (white person). “We both admitted—my husband and I—that sometime in the future he wouldn’t be there to save me. Or God forbid my daughter.” Two days after Pamela’s beating, her daughter was followed home from school by a group of men carrying AK 47’s. She planned her escape with her husband that same evening. 

A Note to my Readers

Thanks so much for your continued support. I wanted to let you know that I have added new pages onto my blog, including a page dedicated to my thesis, The Silent War: A Jurisprudential History of Wartime Rape, as well as a page titled, "Chelsea Recommends." I invite you to give them a gander when you have a chance. I have just posted my thesis and would love you to read it and give any feedback. I am pursuing my masters degree in 2011 with the same concentration, so any critiques or criticisms would be highly appreciated. Thanks so much and happy reading!

Understanding War

My first "Chelsea Recommends" is the website http://www.understandingwar.org/

Why? It is a refreshingly bipartisan research organization that works towards educating civilian leaders in military intelligence and the military operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The Afghanistan Project's current focus for instance is to "monitor and analyze the effectiveness of Afghan and Coalition operations to disrupt enemy networks and secure the population."  

It not only publishes reports and articles by visiting scholars but also provides maps, charts and summaries of current and past military operations. Still not sold? Don't worry, it also highlights approved articles by your trusty American news agencies, such as CSPAN, CNN, etc. (I can't promise any Fox articles for the obvious reasons) 

They May Be Small, But They Are Certainly Tough

Yesterday I was walking in town with two fellow volunteers when a drunkard started to follow and pester us. Apparently I have made my mark because within minutes we had a group of street kids surrounding us and yelling at the drunk man to leave us alone. As the kids probably expected, I bought them street food afterwards. I love that I can help these kids. I love that they trust almost no one and yet they get excited to see me. I love that I am now one of them, worthy of protecting.

:)

Meet My New Friend

Briant is the one in the middle.

This morning while walking in town I came across one of the street kids - Briant - begging on the street. Briant is nine years old and has one of those contagiously beautiful smiles. Together, Briant and I walked from one end of town to the other, stopping in shops and walking around the outdoor market. Not only was his English surprisingly good but our conversation really interesting. At the market, I broke down and bought him a pair of foam sandals, a pair of shorts and a Manchester United shirt. The deal was, however, that he had to start going to the morning shelter so he could bathe more frequently, wash his clothing and participate in the lessons.

Wanting to first find a place to bathe before he put on his new clothes, Briant strutted the rest of the way with the bag of clothing thrown over his shoulder. "I am going to look smart with my new clothes! Ahhh, see how people look at me. I am proud to be with a Mzungu." "So we are friends then," I asked. "Yego Chels. We are very good friends."

Shorts, Sandals and a Shirt = $4
Lunch for 2 = $.75

Its amazing how $4.75 can make such a huge difference for these children and make me so incredibly happy. :)