Photo Credit: Refugees International
11/12/2006

The conflict in northern Uganda was characterized by the phenomenon of ‘night commuters’ – young children who traveled to safe areas to sleep every night. Now, as people in northern Uganda begin to move out of the IDP camps and work their lands, the adults are ‘day commuting’ – and leaving their children behind to attend schools in the camps. Many of the young children also look after the infants. While there are a few schools near some of the new sites, most need extensive rehabilitation. In particular, residents told us, they need help in building quarters for teachers – something that the parents have traditionally done. The government of Uganda has done a poor job in recruiting teachers and other civil servants to the north so it is unlikely that the schools outside the camps will be up and running anytime soon. Meanwhile, children will continue to study in over-crowded classrooms in the camps, looked after by their grandparents or siblings and still vulnerable to abuse and in need of additional protection.