Peace Villages

Day 9

Greetings from Rebecca! Many of us started our medication today for a touch of “travelers’ sickness,” but over all we are in remarkably good health. Thank you for your prayers!

Today Val was able to join us as we left Kangole and visited the peace villages. Near the border between Karamoja and Teso regions, we left the main rode and drove around Mt. Napak to Nakayot where the second group of peace villages are being established. I rode with Val (though not in Landy which currently needs repairs), but those in the van want me to tell you that they broke down 7 times along the way in and out.

27km off the main road, we came to the two bore holes (one on a solar pump) and their brand new drip irrigation garden. The drip buckets were all empty because both bore holes were “broken.” After discussion, Val’s best guess is that the bore holes pipes were not long enough and the water level has gone down now that the rainy season is over. They are able to get about a quarter of a jerry can out of the hand pump if they wait an hour or so for the water to replenish. The new drip garden is vulnerable as the seedlings have just come up. The more established garden is also at risk, without the solar pump working these plants will also wither and die. Many people, young and old, came to greet us and shake all our hands. We drove on to the main village and greeted even more people.












The people tell us (through CLIDE members) that their food has not been delivered (it is at least 2 weeks late). Some women start singing and we each take a turn jumping with them in the hot sun (see video below), but our time is short and we must go. The people look thin and dusty and needy—3,000 people scrounging for food and water in this hot, dry place. We are all sad as we leave. In Val’s vehicle we spend some time praying for Nakayot as we drive. Later we realize it is December 1st so we sing Christmas carols with Val, and Steve breaks out a (melted) chocolate bar to share. It is very festive, though a bit surreal as we drive through the dry grass, thorn bushes, and acacia trees in the bright, hot sun.

Back at the main road, we drive a short way to Iriiri for late lunch. The van will not come with us to Nabwal, the site of the first peace villages, because the road is worse, so we crowd into the 2 CLIDE vehicles, leaving some staff behind, and take another road around the other side of Mt. Napak. It is greener on this side and the grass is high most of the way. This road has many more large rocks, deep ruts, and steep places. The van would never have made it. As we get close, we see more people spread out along the road. There are 62 villages on this side—9,000+ people. The people are excited to see us and happy. Some break into song praising God and thanking Val. We stop several places briefly: outside the main village, at a bore hole (it needs repair), at the church they have built out of large sticks, at the place they have collected piles of rocks for building a school.

As the sun sets (about 6) we reach the land the people have set aside for CLIDE. Soon CLIDE will have some huts here and not have to camp in tents when they visit. Some day they hope to build a Peace Center on the land to commemorate God’s work here and tell the history of the peace. We stand on a little hill with the crowd of villagers that collect every time we stop, and we pray. Though there are still many challenges and difficulties on this side of the mountain, I am encouraged by how much progress we see. I am filled with hope that God will finish the good work He has started. I have faith that future visitors to Nakayot will see thriving villages growing their own food and praising God for all He has done for them.

Video: Dancing in Nakayot