‘You are the salt of the earth!’ was Jesus’s assertion to his listeners (Matthew 5:13) and
the theme of Uganda's Sixth National Deaf Youth Camp held in Arua last week. It was a
success in many key ways despite an exhausting camp preparation week.
Arua’s Deaf Youth Camp Organising Committee was hosting the
event. The committee was made up of signing members of the Diocesan Special
Needs Committee, St Phillips Signed fellowship and YWAM Arua Deaf Hearing
United. The Arua Camp Committee team were responsible for financing, planning,
setting up and co-managing the camp venue, accommodation, cooking facilities,
food, follow up workshops and recreational activities.
The team from Immanuel Church of the Deaf in Kampala compiled and delivered the teaching programme and provided most of the interpreters. Every member worked really hard, stayed united and grew in confidence and appreciation of other camp youth’s needs, abilities and limitations. The two committees met most days to review and preview progress and challenges.
Deaf youth from all the major regions of Uganda, even
Karamoja district in the NW attended. In Karamoja, young men, like Simon Peter above must
publicly wrestle the woman they want to marry to gain their community’s
permission. If the woman wins the wrestling match, his request is rejected!
Deaf youth at the camp represented all of the surrounding nations. This led to some great talent/comedy acts and beautiful dances at the mid camp culture night.
The teaching and follow up discussion groups were very interactive. Everyone left with a much more practical understanding of how followers of Jesus are can be like salt IN, and TO, their own communities...
Living HIV positive was the workshop topic guest speaker Charles spoke about. He took many questions too! Charles, has kindly given permission to me to post my video interviews with him online, including another how his family of deaf and hearing members have adapted to one another. Available shortly.
Other workshop sessions looked at having
our identity in Christ rather than in other things, and Non-communicable
Disease Prevention.
Other highlights included the recreational games which whilst new to most, developed core lifeskills such as numeracy, strategy, anticipation and team spirit.
Our Tour of Arua included a visit to former Ugandan President Idi Amin’s former local residence by the airstrip was very pouplar. One of Amin's descendants gave a brief resume of his lifestyle there. He apparently had a deaf son...
The airstrip visit was popular with the departure of the Ugandan prime minister’s helicopter, and a close up look at some of the aircraft and weather station equipment. For many such experiences were their first.
On Thursday deaf youth from the camp and Arua took on one of Arua’s hearing youth teams. If the deaf youth team had scored their late penalty, the scorte would have been 3-3 and there would have been a penalty shoot-out, but alas it was not to be. Both teams enjoyed a soda and the victors walked away with a the prize of a new football.
Friday ended up being special because five camp youth,
including two from Arua decided they wanted to be baptised. We couldn’t find a
local river which was suitable and permisssion from the surrounding community.
At the last moment, one of the town’s only hotels with a swimming pool allowed
us to use theirs free of charge. Then another divine intervention as YWAM Arua
elder John Wright offered us free transport to get to the hotel and back.
During the camp closing ceremony Rev Allan, Diocesan Special needs coordinator and pastor of Arua Signed fellowship received a motor bike from Deaf Action Uganda. Now he can reach far more of the vast region he's called to pastor . He's been praying for one since 2009.
The final camp meal was a feast for which a goat was slaughtered. Camp menu had been grain/vegetarian based all week. This is very typical across much of Uganda for budget reasons.
There was hope to match last year’s record attendance of
110+ but with day visitors we were about 80. It seems this was due to a number
reasons. Arua is in the extreme North-west of Uganda, involving an eight hour
bus journey from the capital Kampala close to Entebbe where the last camp was
held. Secondly, several earlier promises of indigenous financial support were not fulfilled. So some deaf
youth locally and from across Uganda who’d hope to attend could not afford to
do so. The support would have supplemented their typically very low incomes to
pay the modest the camp entry fee. Others needed a subsidy to attend due the travelling distances involved
or because they are on such low incomes.
The camp preparations
were intensive and stressful because there had been a major misunderstanding
between local partners, a month before I arrived. However, with a concerted
effort we, the Arua Deaf Youth Camp Committee sorted out many practical issues
and fund raise just enough to retain the go-ahead for the camp from
Stephen(deaf), the Camp’s overall coordinator and pastor. The Kampala camp
committee were great role models and many friendships have been forged.
Overall the camp was a success. Deaf and hearing campers went
home with a fresh sense of purpose, solidarity, confidence and cross-cultural
awareness. My thanks and that of all the campers goes out to our UK DHU
partners who also helped to make this camp possible. Arua has been invited to
host the national camp again in 2019.
