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Moving Past Life as a Rebel Slave
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"When they first come back from the bush, we show them that we love them," said Sam Lukungu, a World Vision counselor. "We accept them as they are, and we don't blame them for all that had happened."
But World Vision also warned them that not everyone in the community would be as welcoming.
"When we were in World Vision, we were told each and every day that people have different attitudes" toward former rebels, said Ojok, 24. "Even where I am now, there are a lot of things people say. But some of them don't even know that I was once in the bush. But I don't mind."
Ojok said she is not afraid that people will physically harm her, but their candid talk reminds her to keep a low profile. "Some of the things I hear people say is that they don't want to see or be near someone from the bush like me. 'She might have done some things, certain things that are very wrong like the atrocities committed by the rebels,' " she said. "But for us who have come back from the bush, we know that it can happen to anybody the same way it happened to us."
The breakfast rush passed, and Ojok sat on the cement floor and focused on chopping vegetables for the lunch menu. Wearing a brown print dress and with her hair pulled back in tight braids, she was all business when she worked. She rarely smiled.
When Ojok started the cafe, she worked alongside another former abductee. But the woman left to get married, something Ojok hopes for herself one day.
But for now, Ojok's priority is supporting Harriett, her mother and her siblings, who welcomed her back into their home.
After closing down the restaurant at around 7 p.m., she walked home to spend some time with Harriett, who is 6. They sat together as the sun set. Harriett nibbled a piece of corn Ojok had brought back from the restaurant. Ojok's mother and a sister took a seat beside them on the ground outside their hut. The night air was cool.
Ojok spoke with pride about her daughter's recent promotion in school. She wants to give Harriett a chance to finish school, something she was never able to do. She wants Harriett to have a normal life, an aspiration that for now seems possible because government forces have secured the region.
"I pray that God should help Harriett have a brighter future," Ojok said. "I feel I should not tell her anything about the father because even if I tell her -- what next? I feel that she should just grow up among the children here and feel that she is a sister to the children who are here. Nothing else."
