Tuesday evening I
experienced something that I was in no way prepared for, nor do I believe I could have been prepared for the situation at all.
Looking for an
inexpensive, filling, meal a few of us decided to have dinner at our new
favorite restaurant, Amigo’s. Like usual, we all gathered around a small
folding table outside, ordered, then chatted while waiting for our food. The
conversation was much lighter than usual, which was a good change of pace compared
to the normal heavily emotional topics. We spoke of the new royal baby, the
great chicken place on the corner, and of course, what we were going to do this
weekend.
Just a few minutes
after all of us started to dig in I looked up to my left to see my roommate,
Kelsey Landis, in pure horror. Within the same second I heard a loud,
unfamiliar, smack. As I quickly looked to my right I saw a woman with a thick,
long, wooden pole swinging furiously at a raggedly dressed man. The man looked
to be in either his 30’s or 40’s and was now flailing his arms at the woman. As
I saw the pole come back again I realized it was now heading right over my head
and Kelsey pulled me to her side, taking me from my seat. The man was yelling,
the woman was yelling, and our entire table sat in silence. She continued to
beat him until the pole snapped in half and he scurried off. A few seconds after the scene ended I realized
I was standing next to the table with my jaw probably on the floor. After a few
more seconds I realized that the entire restaurant and bar were laughing at the
occurrence. Laughing at this homeless (assuming) man being beaten by a stick 15
feet away from us. The same occurrence that just made me lose my appetite.
The remainder of
our dinner was pretty quiet and awkward; none of us could muster up proper
conversation after what we had just witnessed. On the walk home I couldn’t help
but repeat the scene in my head over and over. I also then realized that I had
seen this man before. Earlier this same afternoon I was exchanging bills at the
bank and saw him on a corner close to Amigo’s behaving oddly and talking to
himself. I guess I cannot be certain, but I believe the man was suffering from
some type of mental illness.
I find it so hard
to understand why there are so man NGO’s all over Uganda, more specifically
Gulu, yet not one that I have heard of who is advocating for those with mental
illness. Why can we (not specifically GSSAP) as so-called advocates for
humanity supply clothing and petty gifts for Northern Ugandans but can not give
these people with mental illness the proper medication or treatment to allow
them to live better? I know the problem is not the funding. I believe the
funding could be found. I think the problem is it is much, “cooler” to say you
are supporting little children or even, “invisible children” if you will,
rather than supporting the dirty and sometimes frightening mentally ill or
unstable.
I
just find it so difficult that others do not see that these people need to be
advocated and cared for. They are part of our race.
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