Beatrice The changes in the war are what caused us to leave our home. There was insecurity because the rebels kept coming to our home and that is why we had to leave.
Interviewer Maybe you can tell us more about your husband. When you came with him to O’ngako camp [8], how did your married life continue?
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[Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN]
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Beatrice Before the war we used to stay well but when he got another woman that is when life changed.
Interviewer When your husband left, did he leave you with any property because he knew you had nine children.
Beatrice He did not leave anything. At first we used to dig and hired out cows for cultivation. We managed to cultivate six bags of groundnuts. He (the husband) removed three bags and took them to another woman. The other three which remained he came and sold them when I was away. I took him to the police and he said he had used the money. The police made him bring back the money but I refused to accept it.
Interviewer Haven’t you tried going to your in-laws place maybe to claim for land or some assistance from them since you are keeping their children?
Beatrice My in-laws came to me after hearing what happened between us and even wanted me to go back to him, but my husband says I am weak and that he will kill me. He says my home is a home of dead people. ‘Slim' [9] has killed my mother’s children. He can kill me with a knife and no one will follow him. At the police station if you kill your wife, you stay in for only three days, that’s why I am afraid.
The landmine hit me on 25th Dec 199610. We had bought food and we decided to look for .rewood. Where we were walking, there were tall grasses. My friend was in front of me. We checked our movements as we walked but before I realised it I found myself falling down. My friend also fell. By the time I regained consciousness I saw hunters coming. They were saying that the landmine had hit my friend. For me who was still alive, they carried me to the main road and a military van came and took us to Lacor. [11]
The challenges which I now face? Before the incident I used to dig but now I can only dig for about thirty minutes. I cannot stand for long. I also get tired so fast, I don’t have help.
Interviewer If the conditions at the camp were changed, would you like to stay here and why?
Beatrice I would agree to stay because in my homeland the land to cultivate is not there. Here I can rent a place where I can dig. What I would like to change? They should counsel men not to drink so much and to stay with their wives at home. In the camp here women have a lot of sufferings.
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[8] Gulu District
[9] Colloquial reference to wasting effect of HIV/AIDS related illnesses
[10] Landmines and explosive remnants of war survivors in Uganda 2006, total 2,039, casualties 50. Source: Landmine Monitoring Report 2007 11 Main hospital in Gulu district