Night commuters

Over the past two decades of war, which has ravaged the north of Uganda as well as the lives and livelihoods of those living in it, many children have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army to become workers, soldiers and sex slaves.  Although thousands of girls have been taken, this number is still lower in comparison to the number of boys.  Until around 2006, to avoid abduction, 1000’s of children descended onto the streets of the Northern Ugandan cities to take shelter in aid/rescue shelters, churches or hospitals, while their parents remained at home to guard their property.  

The main cities in which the night commuters took refuge were Gulu, Kitgum, and Pader towns.  The night commuters often carried mats and blankets to help them sleep.  Younger children were often accompanied by an elder sibling, and although children tried to travel in groups, it was not uncommon for children to be wandering the night streets alone.  In 2002, when insecurity was at it’s highest during October and November, over 40,000 individuals, the majority unaccompanied children, made the nightly journey into the streets of Gulu.  Some report travelling as far as four miles/two hours on foot.

Children here had no access to water, limited toilet facilities and little to no formal supervision.  Some of the safest places to sleep closed their doors for the evening, so children had to walk fast in order to get there in time.  There was often fighting amongst the other children for sheltered spaces, especially during the rainy season.  In addition, the limited sleeping resources encouraged children to steal from one another.  Unfortunately typical journeys taken by children from villages into the cities also became targeted routes for further abuse and violence.