Women’s Advocacy Network

Oh! Wars are terrible,

Wars made us grow up without our parents.

We grew up orphans.

 

Wars, Wars, Wars.

Wars have made our home die out.

It became a deserted homestead.

We grew up in camps.

The pride and culture of Acholi is spoilt and has disappeared.

 

Wars are bad, wars are bad.

It made me give birth when I was still very young.

I knew men before the time I should have.

 

Wars, wars, wars.

Wars made me grow up eating wild plants  like adyebo,

Moving long distances,

Day and night,

Crossing rivers,

Forests and mountains,

It made it hard to differentiate us from birds and wild animals.

 

Every morning you began the journey.

Night comes,

Gunshots are heard,

We were hurt and killed from gunshots.

Oh! Oh! Oh!

Bones have remained in the bush.

Oh! Oh! Wars.

This poem was written by the Women’s Advocacy Network’s Di Cwiny Group in memory of all the children who died in captivity and never lived to come back home.▪