From above the land, I watched some of the atrocities against my people.
I watched a boy as he was jumped by soldiers hiding in the bush. They gave him a soldier hat and a gun.
“You will learn to kill with this.” An angry soldier pushed him.
The boy learned to follow orders. He could hide well in the tall grass and kill small animals. Every time he was given a gun, he was afraid he would have to use it.
Then men in different uniforms jumped him as he was stalking a gazelle. They took him to one of the refugee camps.
“Be a boy again.” one of the soldiers said as he straightened his collar.
A friend told us his story. He was so grateful that he never had to kill another human being, especially a member of his own tribe. There are so many childding stories of child soldiers. We have heard too many.
There are so many great bloggers to enjoy in April. Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
“I can’t stop now” I said to myself as the ant hill grew taller.
“What do you see?” A voice called from below.
“The land is spread out below my feet.”
It wasnt what I saw it was what I felt inside.
“The land and her people are in pain.” I shouted.
Scars were etched upon the land where blood had been carelessly spilt.
“Can we save them?”
“Yes, keep climbing.” The voice said.
Hot angry winds tried to knock me over. My hands clutched at the clouds.
I KEPT GOING…
My writing of this fictionalized life story has, at this moment, become allegorical. The true story of one girl’s life (let alone hundreds) is too painful.
There are so many great bloggers to enjoy in April. Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
I heard her say, “Grab my hand. I’ll help you climb.”
I wanted to see past my village.
“Maybe I can see my mama.” I said back.
“You can do it,”
I climbed the ant hill. It was 2.5 meters tall.
“No fall.” I heard my baby brother.
I smiled as I climbed. This was easy compared to everything we had lived through.
“I can’t see anything.” I called down.
“YOU WILL!!!” The voice called back.
We researched the white ant hill for a science project. There is an intricate network that keeps the colony cool. A friend built a home based on the concept. Yes, it was cool on a hot day and cold at night.
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
I’m a brave little girl. I have to be. Soldiers came to our village and took my older brother. My mama and papa hid me and my baby brother under goat skins in a garbage heap that soldiers set on fire. Mama and Papa both ran from the soldiers. I dug us out from under the garbage when the soldiers were gone. My one arm was badly burned; my brother was alive but hungry and scared. I took us to a stream to rinse off and get water.
“We can do this.” I coaxed him each day.
We waited for someone to come. No one did.
“We must find them.” I said more to myself than to the baby. The only foods we had were dried posho in pans left by the villagers.
This girl represents many who fled or were captured by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army). Her story is fictional – the details are not. Her story will continue for the next several day for the A to Z challenge
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
Write about an interaction you had with a salesman.
If you could only focus on three things in life and pursue them fully, leaving everything else, what would they be and why?
Tell us about the most exhausted you’ve ever felt.
Tell us about a place you’ve visited that felt magical to you.
When I met Mohamad, he was nine years old. What a smile that kid had on his face. I knew he and his sisters were thirsty, so I opened water bottles for each of them. Mohammad helped us unload the car. We had oil, flour, beans, jugs of water, soap, and a bag of sweets. His mama brought us chai and we heard the miraculous story…
“When the earth began to shake, I ran out of the building; I guess I wasn’t thinking. Before my family could move, the walls fell; they were trapped. A wall collapsed on my son. My wife refused to leave him.
“No, mama, you must get the children out. I will be okay,” Mohamad called out.
My wife and our four daughters crawled through a small hole I had dug. I yelled for help. Men who had safely gotten out came to help get Mohamed from under the wall before the building came down. We drove him to the hospital in a car that was half its normal height; pieces of building had crushed it. Mohamad lost his leg that night, and we had a baby girl in his hospital room the next morning. Because of our dear Mohamad, our baby lived.” (the temperatures in Hatay were below freezing)
I had ignored that I was thirsty while we worked in the hot, unhealthy earthquake zone. I couldn’t think about myself there were too many refugees who needed our help. When my husband finally dragged me to a clinic, I was exhausted and severely dehydrated. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I just need water!
One of my roles is working with refugees. I’m a retired nurse, and I teach and run supplies. I love people in the world.
Fire is not a good thing where I live. We don’t have firetrucks or firemen. I remember one fire that was set on purpose. I was a small child in K level. We had real desks, our own books, and pencils to write with.
While we were having our tea, our teacher noticed smoke coming from the schoolroom. He ran back waving his arms “Fire – quick bring water.”
The children pumped water and took it to the building while the youth and the teachers went inside trying to save school supplies and desks. We didn’t have much time to think. Some adults walking on the road stopped to watch. They didn’t offer to help. That day, my school burned to the ground because someone was jealous that we had a school to learn in.
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
“They may be big but if they want to they can run very fast.” My friend told the children a story. “My land cruiser broke down in the middle of nowhere. I was supposed to pick up a group to go on safari to see the elephants. I knew if I kept walking down the dirt road, I would eventually find the group. What I didn’t know was that the elephants use the path every night to go from the Nile to their home. I was frozen by the sight of a bull. I called my boss. “What do I do if I come across an elephant?” He said “hang up and RUN!!!”
“What would you do if you came across an elephant?” He asked the children.
Run, scream, hide, wish I was someplace else…
What would you do???
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
Today in our village school, we learned about different animals. Some of the animals in Uganda are hippos, gazelles, oribi, crocodiles, and giraffes. and elephants. Zebra used to live here but they died from a disease.
I also learned that a habitat is the place an animal lives. A habitat can be a river, a tree or for lions it’s in the savannah. I made a lion mask because I like the way they talk with a loud “Roar”. No one knew who I was because of my disguise – I wonder if my mama will recognize me when I go home?
If you could make an animal mask what would you be? I like the Zebra!
I have a love for children around the world and I am blessed to play and teach many of them. These anecdotes are fictionalized but true. You will capture what a day is like for a village child along with the challenges for many children. Thanks for visiting moondustwriter – Enjoy
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
I had snuck up and grabbed the tire from the older boys during recess. My teachers smiled as I giggled. I started school when I was 3 years old. Maybe it was so the gaps when the teachers didn’t come to teach wouldn’t hold us behind. It wasn’t the fault of the teachers. Oh no. The Government officials would forget to send the funds to pay for school. They told me when I got older that we were in the far villages and they forgot about us. I will learn my letters soon enough – for now, it’s running after a dusty old tire.
I have a love for children around the world and I am blessed to play and teach many of them. These anecdotes are fictionalized but true. You will capture what a day is like for a village child along with the challenges for many children. Thanks for visiting moondustwriter – Enjoy
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com
Gud skaper noko nytt ved sitt Ord og sin Ande, vi kan ta imot det i tru og få oppleve at han gjer sitt verk med oss. Hans skaparkraft verkar konstuktivt i våre liv og skaper noko som er verdifullt for oss. Naturkreftene verkar nedebrytande, i fylgje entropilova, men Gud er Ånd og det som er født av hans Ande består. Jesu frelsesverk er fullbrakt og fullkome. Han er den siste Adam, som er ifrå himmelen og som for oss har vorte ei livgjevande ånd. Han gjev oss den Heilage Ande frå himmelen av berre nåde. Han gjev oss det evige livet.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. - Edgar Allan Poe
penned in moon dust 