Betty's Story

BETTY BIGOMBE'S STORY (A MORE EXTENSIVE VERSION IS COMING SOON! PLEASE CHECK BACK REGULARLY)

Betty Oyella Bigombe was born in Gulu, Northern Uganda. "As a child, Betty was very unique, charming, smart, outgoing, a problem solver and a born leader", says Sophia Wenn Betty Bigombe's sister. "When we were young, her main game was being a teacher." "All the village kids followed her." "She always had a very positive attitude, never gave up or lost her temper". "In Gayaza High School and Makerere University, she was a top student and always surrounded by other students". "She was a very popular girl and up to now, wherever she goes, she is popular". "My sister has helped so many people." "As a child, she would go out of her way to try to solve your problem and she still does the same thing". "Sitting among those rebels trying to negotiate peace is exactly what my sister is – a Peacekeeper".

Sophia is referring to images of Betty Bigombe with the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group formed in 1987 and now led by Joseph Kony, during her efforts to end the long standing war between the government of Uganda under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army - a group that has abducted thousands of Acholi children and trained them to kill by metting out unimaginable brutality.

An article by Abraham McLaughlin titled, "Africa's peace seekers: Betty Bigombe", which was featured in the Christian Science Monitor and in particular the following quotes from the article further attest to the kind of person Betty Bigombe is:

"Maybe ... maybe I can give it another try" (Betty Bigombe referring to giving her attempts at brokering a Peace Deal between the government of Uganda under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army, a group formed in 1987 and now led by Joseph Kony, another try).

"Oh, what I have to put up with," Bigombe says with an exasperated smile (Betty Bigombe demonstrating her incredible patience and tenacity).

"We're hungry," one skinny rebel whispered at a subsequent meeting. With her own money, she bought sugar, coffee, cooking oil, and salt at local markets. Then she began arriving with cartons of soap and other supplies. "The more they have", she explains, "the fewer deadly raids they make on local villages" (A demonstration of Betty Bigombe's generosity and the Philosophy upon which the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION operates).

"Furthermore, as she brought supplies, the often-elusive rebels began contacting her more regularly, willing to talk peace. Some analysts worry the LRA is just manipulating Bigombe for their own gain. Regardless, outside observers say one of her great talents is building and keeping the trust of the warring parties."

Of that day with the rice, she says, "They were trying to see if they could trust us" (Betty Bigombe's credibility which she brings to her vision and work through the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION).

"When I go silent, they know I'm not pleased," she explains. It sends a simple message: "Do you want to blow it all up - or move toward peace?" (Betty Bigombe demonstrating one of several strong skills she possesses - Diplomacy).

Source of the above Quotes: Christian Science Monitor ( http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0913/p01s04-woaf.html )

Between 1981 and 1984, Betty Bigombe served as corporate Secretary of the Uganda Mining Corporation. In 1986, she was elected to the Parliament of Uganda where she began the long, bumpy and often dangerous road that preceded the formation of the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION.

In 1988, Ms. Bigombe was appointed Minister of State for Pacification of Northern Uganda a post later renamed Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Resident in Northern Uganda. Named Uganda's 'Woman of the Year in 1993, for her efforts to end the long standing war between the government of Uganda under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army, a group formed in 1987 and now led by Joseph Kony, Ms. Bigombe personifies global efforts to end wars and humanity's spirit to resolve conflicts by Dialogue, not Violence.

In 1996, Betty Bigombe retired from the Parliament of Uganda and took a fellowship award at the Harvard Institute for International Development beginning in 1997. Following her fellowship award at the Harvard Institute for International Development, Ms. Bigombe became a Senior Social Scientist with the Post conflict unit of the World Bank and subsequently a Consultant to the Bank's Social Protection and Human Development units.

Ongoing articles co-authored by Betty Bigombe on post-conflict peace building and the impact of conflict on women and children, speak to the depth of knowledge Ms. Bigombe possesses and offers through the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION, along with highly sought after Media Interviews, Appearances and Speaking Engagements by her. The passion that drives and motivates Betty Bigombe's work is unparalleled, as is her impeccable diplomatic skills, which were repeatedly tested when she stepped between the government of Uganda under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army, two fiercely opposed warring factions determined to "fight to the death".

In the article by Abraham McLaughlin titled, "Africa's peace seekers: Betty Bigombe", which was featured in the Christian Science Monitor ( http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0913/p01s04-woaf.html ), a reference is made to a CNN "breaking news" flash that mentions Betty Bigombe as "the one person who'd ever gotten the rebels and the government close to peace". But brokering a peace deal between historical enemies has not been without "hiccups", "dangerous" “alliances” and major upheavals.

The ""Oh, what I have to put up with," Bigombe says with an exasperated smile" that is reported in the Science Monitor article by Abraham McLaughlin is a smile well known to Ugandan girls and women who must often smile, while groaning under the heavy responsibility of being pillars of Ugandan society and custodians of life in a country that has been ravaged by deadly tribalism, civil strife and the AIDS Pandemic. This they sometimes do while being subjected to the worst forms of abuse and social injustice as has been the case in the decades long war that has disproportionately ravaged and affected the Acholi Tribe of Northern Uganda.

Everything is often crumbling around them but they put on a smile none the less even if it is a misleading smile "crafted" to give their children hope and security - a hope and security that has been violently stolen from the innocent Acholi children of Northern Uganda that the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION is currently focusing on rehabilitating. In early 2004, Betty Bigombe took a prolonged leave of absence from her lucrative job at the World Bank so that she could pick up where she left off in 1994 when she almost succeeded in brokering a peace deal between the government of Uganda under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army, led by Joseph Kony.

It didn't take her long to conclude, "Maybe ... maybe I can give it another try" on that morning of February 22, 2004 when she caught a glimple of the CNN Breaking Story that reported the massacre of 200 Acholi villagers by the Lord's Resistance Army and featured her own picture on the screen. The explanation offered by the CNN Reporter that February morning about Bigombe, a former government minister in Uganda, being the one person who'd ever gotten the rebels and the government close to peace in 1994 bears witness to Ms. Bigombe's credibility in the pursuit of Global Peace and the vision of the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION. Anyone who has had close association with Betty Bigombe knows that she is a generous and caring person by nature, often spending her own money in a determined effort to attain peace in Northern Uganda and peace in the world. Betty's generosity is the Philosophy upon which the BETTY BIGOMBE CHILDREN OF WAR FOUNDATION operates. From early 2004 until mid 2006, Betty Bigombe was the Chief Mediator in a renewed peace initiative between the government of Uganda under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony.

Utilizing a delicate mix of rare skills acquired through an Acholi tribal education that has relied on grassroots methods to resolve social problems as in many African countries and a Western education that culminated in a Masters Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Betty Bigombe has much to offer the Global Community in its efforts to attain World Peace. Known to be one of the few individuals who worked tirelessly to bring about peace in Northern Uganda and was trusted by both sides in the slippery and dangerous road leading to the current state of affairs, Ms. Bigombe joins the global community in anticipating a collective sigh of relief, as FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN OF WAR RAVAGED NORTHERN UGANDA make a concerted effort to bring about permanent peace to Northern Uganda at long last!!!