Greetings from beautiful Kampala, Uganda

Hello, again! And if this is your first time, Welcome!! My name is Tatiana Melissa Zepeda and I am an intern at the Swedish Red Cross. Currently my colleague Elin and I are in Uganda conducting a field study on the protection of civilians under International Humanitarian Law. As of now, we’ve conducted several interviews throughout Kampala, Gulu, Kitgum, and Pader and collected information on the experiences of women, girls, boys, and men during armed conflict. Once again welcome and please feel free to look through our previous posts.

Uganda Red Cross Society logo

My name is Tatiana Melissa Zepeda and I am graduate of Sociology from the University of California Santa Barbara and the University of Cape Town. It is a great privilege and pleasure to be participating in this field study alongside my colleague Elin Lilijenbladh. Our arrival in Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda was made possible by the patience and dedication of several individuals from the Swedish and Ugandan Red Cross. Thank you all. A special and warm thanks to the Ugandan Red Cross staff and personnel who without their dedication and hard work our arrival and stay in Ugandan would not have been possible.

Although this is my first journey to Uganda I know it will not be my last. My experience in the Pearl of Africa thus far has been filled with warm greetings, friendly smiles, laughter, and delicious food. Truly it is a privilege to be present. I look forward to my stay in Uganda with great enthusiasm and I am thankful for the URC’s collaboration, cooperation, and support.

Kampala

We understand violence and other forms of inequalities to be different and experienced differently depending on an individual’s gender, socioeconomic status, and geographical space—to name a few. It is essential then to acknowledge the otherwise censored, ignored, or marginalized voices of armed conflict, for example. Such acknowledgement enables us to understand how armed conflict in northern Uganda affected women, girls, boys, and men differently. As a foreigner to this great nation, my lens is already somewhat skewed. However through the collaboration, support, and assistance from the Ugandan Red Cross, local researchers and NGOs, and the great people of Uganda, I hope to gain further understanding in order to ensure the protection of all civilians under International Humanitarian Law.

 

PS

A special thanks to the children playing soccer outside our hotel window. May you continue living and playing in laugher.

Kids playing soccer