Journey of Hope: Walkers head to Soroti

Aug 05, 2017

The walkers, led by Rita Nkemba, are in a campaign that seeks to reverse the flow of child trafficking and unsafe migration from Karamoja

Walkers soldier on as they enter Day 9 of the journey of Hope. (Credit: Richard Wetaya)

JOURNEY OF HOPE

Walkers taking part in the 'Journey of Hope' campaign, an initiative that amongst other things involves a 17-day 467km walk from Kampala to Napak district in Karamoja, were flagged off at Parliament on Monday.

Day 8

Journey of Hope continues. Only 15 members walking now. They took a rest in Mbale as they prepare for the next journey of 30km towards Soroti

 

Day Six

Nkemba engages traffic Police officers in Busembatia

Journey of Hope team leader Rita Nkemba takes the lead

Day Five

Walkers make their way through Namalemba, Busembatia

Walkers at a Railway crossing in Tongole

Journey of Hope walkers make their way through Tongole, Busembatia on Friday morning

 

 The journey reaches Busembatia

 Walkers going through Iganga town on Friday

Day Four

Walkers make their way through Kakira in Jinja on Thursday

Christine Namaganda, Uganda's Chess Champion (middle) is part of the walk entourage

 The students of Mpumudde High School in the walk

Students of Mpumude High School join the Journey of Hope walkers today as Day Four of the walk started on Thursday morning.They carried placards bearing anti-child trafficking messages

Day Three

 Walkers stretching out at Nakibizi before they close off day three of the journey. They have walked for 30km since the start of the day (Wednesday)

 A rest becomes necessary at this point

 Tired, but soldiering on in Bulamagi, Buikwe district

 

 Walkers stretching out at Bulumagi, Buikwe district

Day Two

The walkers moved for about 20km and had a rest in Mukono.

 The walkers on Jinja Road

 Walkers engage with children on Jinja Road

 

Some of the walkers soldier on before taking a rest inMukono on Monday

Day One:

The walkers set off at Parliament on Monday July 31, 2017.

The walkers preparing to set off

 Dokolo MP Cecilia Ogwal flagged off the walk at Parliament

 

CHILD TRAFFICKING

The walkers, led by Rita Nkemba, the poster-child of the campaign that seeks to reverse the flow of child trafficking and unsafe migration from Karamoja, were flagged off by Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal.

The group will arrive in Lomaratoit village, Napak district on August 16.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Ogwal commended Dwelling Places, the Christian NGO behind the campaign, for working hard to bring new leases of life to Karamoja street children.

"The people at Dwelling Places have through their initiatives been a beacon of hope for many Karimojong street children. They have set an example that many should emulate," she said.

 

With the Journey of Hope campaign, Nkemba is hoping to raise sh500m -- funds that will amongst other things go into financing initiatives aimed at keeping Karamojong children off the streets and enrolling them into school.

"The purpose of this year's Journey of Hope is to bring to the fore the plight of children living on the streets. We want the public to know that they can contribute to keeping children off the streets by supporting them in school," said Nkemba.

"Our target as well is to lobby government to boost education in Karamoja as a means of reducing the numbers of Karimojong children living on the streets and KCCA to provide space within the KCCA schools for education for children living on the streets of Kampala from other parts of Uganda in a bid to reduce the trauma and improve the current KCCA rescue methods."

 

Nkemba reveals that sh300m of the targetted sh500m will cater for the construction and equipping works at Lomaratoit Primary School in Napak, a school set up by the government ahead of the 2007 CHOGM summit. 

Lomaratoit village was set up by the government in that year to resettle Karamojong street children and adults.

Nkemba says the focus is on Napak because 90% of Kampala's Karimojong street children (often the victims of child trafficking and unsafe migration) emanate from there.​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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