Gulu night commuters down to 6,369
THE number of children who every evening commute to the 19 night centres in Gulu town has reduced to 6,367 due to the relative prevailing peace. In a report, the UN agency for children, Unicef, said as a result, two night centres had been closed down. The centres are Koro and St. Jude.
By Chris Ocowun
THE number of children who every evening commute to the 19 night centres in Gulu town has reduced to 6,367 due to the relative prevailing peace. In a report, the UN agency for children, Unicef, said as a result, two night centres had been closed down. The centres are Koro and St. Jude.
Over 40,000 children originally were trekking to Gulu town every evening, fearing attacks and abduction by LRA rebels at night.
But the report said the number of children night commuters reduced from 7,313 in January to 6,611 in February and then 6,367 in March.
The number of boys who commute every evening to the centres is 3,185 and for girls, 3,182.
Martin Ojok and Kevin Ajok, who commute every evening to Noah’s Ark, one of the 19 night commuters’ centres, said they still make the journey to the town because of lack of accommodation and electricity to read their books.
Ojok said he stays with his father and step mother at Kanyagoga parish in Bardege division, Gulu municipality, in a one-room house.
Ajok said her mother rents a small room at Laliya, about 1km from Gulu town. This and the fear of abduction forced her mother to send her and her two siblings to Noah’s Ark after supper.
According to a baseline survey carried out by Gulu district on the night commuters with support from Unicef and MSF, 61.8% of the children who night commute are from families with only one or two huts.
It said the girls who spend the night at AMREF Bus Park night centre do so because of insecurity and lack of accommodation in their villages.
THE number of children who every evening commute to the 19 night centres in Gulu town has reduced to 6,367 due to the relative prevailing peace. In a report, the UN agency for children, Unicef, said as a result, two night centres had been closed down. The centres are Koro and St. Jude.
Over 40,000 children originally were trekking to Gulu town every evening, fearing attacks and abduction by LRA rebels at night.
But the report said the number of children night commuters reduced from 7,313 in January to 6,611 in February and then 6,367 in March.
The number of boys who commute every evening to the centres is 3,185 and for girls, 3,182.
Martin Ojok and Kevin Ajok, who commute every evening to Noah’s Ark, one of the 19 night commuters’ centres, said they still make the journey to the town because of lack of accommodation and electricity to read their books.
Ojok said he stays with his father and step mother at Kanyagoga parish in Bardege division, Gulu municipality, in a one-room house.
Ajok said her mother rents a small room at Laliya, about 1km from Gulu town. This and the fear of abduction forced her mother to send her and her two siblings to Noah’s Ark after supper.
According to a baseline survey carried out by Gulu district on the night commuters with support from Unicef and MSF, 61.8% of the children who night commute are from families with only one or two huts.
It said the girls who spend the night at AMREF Bus Park night centre do so because of insecurity and lack of accommodation in their villages.