My host father, Romano, is a partner of MCC. His organization, Kopain is, short for Kotido Peace Initiative. The mission of Kopain is to bring peace to the tribes in the region of Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, and Northwestern Kenya where, historically devastating cattle raiding and violence has impacted the livelihoods of countless families. Romano invited me to see how Kopain’s partnership with MCC was jointly working to bring restoration in Northern Uganda by accompanying him on a trip to Kabong, a northern district along the border of Southern Sudan, to distribute school supplies to Ik children involved in an MCC educational scholarship program.
The Ik people could be compared to North America’s First Nation people. The Ik have been underrepresented in almost every facet of society; educationally, politically, and economically. In addition Kabong, where many live, is located between two raiding tribes, the Turkana, and the Dodoth. When the Ik would receive word one of the tribes was going to attack the other, they would warn the tribe in danger. The tribe planning to attack would find the other tribe well informed and prepared to defend themselves. Because the raid was ineffective the tribe organizing the raid would punish the Ik by raiding their cattle. It was never just one tribe who raided the Ik more, both tribes contributed to the over-all exploitation of the Ik. The Ik are a peaceful tribe and did not want to see their neighboring tribes get killed, but because of their cautionary warnings, they were punished.
In 2006 at a peace meeting Romano organized for the Ik, Dodoth, and Turkan an agreement was made there would be no more raids between the tribes. So far the peace agreement has been honored and much amity and prosperity has come to the Turkana and Dodoth; however, the Ik were literally left with no animals. Although they were glad there would be no more violence their livelihoods had been destroyed and they asked Romano why they should honor the agreement when they had no cattle. Romano posed this question to MCC and together Kopain and MCC created the Ik educational scholarship program under the Global Families Project of MCC. Because of that project four Ik have graduated from high school, quite an accomplishment considering previously only one Ik had completed high school. And there are more Ik in school now than there ever have been previously to the Global Families Scholarship. The ultimate goal is to give Ik professional schooling and later jobs that will begin to empower them to again be active members in their community.
In preparation for the trip I accompanied Romano on he brought notebooks, pens, pencils, body soap, laundry soap, toothpaste, and body oil for the students he also brought tablets of paper and pens for the teachers. MCC is also supplying the funds for the children’s school fees which include school, room and board. After distributing the school supplies we would then visit the Head Master’s office to pay the bill for that term. We visited four schools during our trip, and distributed supplies to about 100 students.
Many of the students recognize the blessing of the scholarship they are receiving and passed their thanks onto Romano and I as we distributed supplies. It was the first time in my life I had been on the resource giving end of MCC. I have enjoyed volunteering at MCC Relief Sales and meat canning in the US to raise funds for MCC, but I have never seen firsthand how the money is distributed. I was pulled in two directions as I helped Romano; first, I was excited to see how MCC resources are allocated and who receives some of the benefits. Second, I was sad that basic school supplies, and paying school fees are such a burden to the Ik people. I’m disturbed daily by the disparity of resources in Uganda in comparison to the world’s richest nation, which I call home.
I recognize that MCC is diligently working to close the gap between these inequalities all over the world, but sometimes problems of injustice and exploitation blatantly confront me and I become cynical. Every day I reconcile myself to the fact that I am more privileged than I can imagine. There is no umbrella formula I have discovered for fighting against inequality and injustice; rather, it is a decision each one of us has to make every day: to treat everyone as God treats us, with compassionate love.
Mohandas Ghandi once said, “Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it.” I know my existence here in Kotido, the US, or anywhere else I may go will never, even minutely, affect poverty, educational needs, or political corruption. But, I am encouraged in the fact we face this conundrum together; regardless of where we are, we cycles through our daily lives and although it may seem mundane there is a purpose, and a bigger picture we cannot always realize. Being aware of the problems is the first step to reconciliation and restoration from injustice so that people like the Ik can once again regain their dignity and build flourishing communities.
Romano, after just having paid the school fees
Two pictures of Ik students receiving their supplies
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