The Amsterdam Gulu Walk 2009

                 The Walk

The Amsterdam Gulu Walk took place on 24-Oct-2009. It started at 15.30 hrs fromGanzenhoef metro station in Amsterdam South East. It was a terribly wet day. Only determined walkers attended. It was cold and raining through out. It was by miracle to get 20 people in such weather. 

The walkers went through this immigrant community town centre via the Kraainest shopping centre Gooigoord, Bijlmerdreef to Amsterdamspoort shopping centre. The original plan was to continue to Amsterdam Arena around the stadium to make the walk at least 10 kilometers, but this was not possible. It was agreed by consensus that we go straight to the end point. The end point was within the shopping centre at the Spoort pub.

Pearl of Africa foundation, an organisation for Ugandans living in Netherlands was responsible for organising the Amsterdam Gulu Walk again. It started with around 20 people but by the end of the programme, 25 people had registered. Some people abandoned the walk in the middle, others joined later and many others got lost.

All the walkers were attired in orange T-shirts and walked while singing, blowing the trumpet and whistling. A walk document given to bystanders explaining the objectives of the walk. It was written in both English and Dutch.

The Gulu walk of 2007 was part of the Global effort to raise awareness and funds for the emergency humanitarian support for the parentless, helpless, homeless and hopeless children who had been walking tens of miles every day in search of safety, food and shelter between the jungles and towns in Northern Uganda for the last twenty years. The children remained caught up between the government, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and other rebellions between the people of Northern Uganda and the Government for the last twenty years.

The Walk of 2008 however, the emphasis was on support for the ongoing peace talks and resettlement. It was held in the Netherlands capital city, The Hague. The Den Haag Gulu Walk had Ugandans of different tribes and political affiliations from the Netherlands and Belgium. Unlike the previous year there were no representatives from Uganda. The walk took about 2 hours going through densely populated areas of the Hague shopping centre and supported by around 10 police officers. The walk was later  described as very peaceful and orderly compared to other such-like demonstrations involving immigrants 

Stichting Nedas sent a representative for the Walk. However, mama Watoto chairperson attended in person she came with an assistant. 2 guests drove from Italy to participate. And the rest; Louise, Carol, Charles, Grace, Jane, Henry, Christine, Maria, Imelda, Ibra, Eddie, Patrick, George, Issa, Mood, Christine, Camille, Allaine…not forgetting those who didn’t write their names or who left before the end, thanks to all of you for making the walk a success.

Pearl of Africa the organizers of this walk join the rest of the world in to create awareness and shore up the maintenance of peace and support for resettlement efforts. Pearl of Africa also has a project in Northern Uganda, Gulu.  It is building a day care centre and nursery for the children of former abducted girls to enable them return to school or seek employment. 

 

                 End of Walk