WHITTEN BURRAGE in the Community

In a remote area in the heart of Africa, including parts of Uganda, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central Africa Republic, the inaptly named Lord’s Resistance Army wages a brutal and seemingly endless campaign against defenseless villagers, regularly seeking children to replenish military ranks. Its leader, Joseph Kony, a self-declared prophet of God, claims he is seeking to establish a theocracy predicated on the Ten Commandments, yet this regime’s tactics are anything but Christian. In the mid-1980’s, as a rebel faction overtook the Uganda government, former military personnel, primarily of the Acholi minority, retreated to northern Uganda and formed rebel bands. The LRA became the most extreme and enduring splinter group, but quickly alienated civilians, as its soldiers have raped, murdered and mutilated even those who shared religious, political ethnic and ethnic ties. On April 20, 1995, one day after our own mass tragedy, the LRA attacked Atiak, a large but underdeveloped city in rural Uganda. After overrunning government forces, the LRA forced a large group of civilians into the bush. There, the more than two-hundred men and boys over the age of thirteen were segregated from women, children and the elderly and systematically exterminated.

In the mid-2000’s, the Ugandan government launched a successful military offensive against the LRA, driving it out of northern Uganda. Rather than disbanding, the LRA simply found refuge in neighboring Sudan and began to carry out operations against softer targets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After initially refraining from attacks against civilians in DRC, Kony ordered simultaneous Christmas Day 2008 attacks on three towns, killing more than 800 civilians, with machetes and clubs the weapons of choice and abducting over 160 children. In December 2009, the LRA again attacked several towns in northern DRC, this time posing as government soldiers to lure villagers to the city centers before killing some 300 or more and kidnapping another 80 children.

Despite the continuing threat posed by the LRA, Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, a nun from Gulu, Uganda, saw a clear need. Young women who escaped LRA captivity were returning to find only more despair. Often their loved ones had been murdered during the raids in which they had been abducted. Other times, the families wanted nothing to do with their daughters, who as Sister Rosemary describes, were told “you are carrying the child of a murderer.” In nearly every case, the girls had lost any opportunity at an education and had no means to support themselves or their children. In 2002, as the conflict intensified in northern Uganda, Sister Rosemary began inviting these refugees to St. Monica’s Girls Tailoring School. There they would learn vocational skills such as cooking and sewing, while regaining confidence and healing the emotional scars inflicted by their captors.

In 2002, Reggie Whitten, an Oklahoma City attorney, visited Sister Rosemary during a trip to Africa. Reggie is the driving force behind the Whitten-Newman Foundation, a private, family foundation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The WNF was created in 2007 as way to honor the life, legacy and spirit of Brandon Whitten, whose life was tragically cut short by a motorcycle accident in 2002. The WNF’s primary focus is to change the lives of young people by offering them educational experiences while providing them with hope. As major part of this effort WNF seeks to inform young people about the dangers associated with drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The WNF has been largely successful in Oklahoma and recently decided to expand its operation abroad. While young people in Africa are less susceptible to the temptations of drugs, alcohol or tobacco than young people in America, many young people in Africa have little or no money, few opportunities and little prospect for a brighter future. Indeed, many did not even have clean water or food to eat. After meeting with Sister Rosemary, the WNF chose to focus on northern Uganda, which, due to the activities of the LRA, the United Nations has labeled the worst place in the world for children. Clearly, Reggie saw, these children needed exactly what WNF wanted to provide – education and hope.

Since that time, WNF has been St. Monica’s biggest financial supporter; however, it was apparent that St. Monica’s and the people of northern Uganda could benefit from more than just financial support. WNF, along with several other organizations and professionals – doctors, lawyers, NFL players, among others – formed PROS FOR AFRICA, an organization dedicated to supplying material necessities, hope, help and love to disadvantaged African children. Reggie and others involved with PROS FOR AFRICA knew that the only way to truly affect those most in need was to actually put people on the ground where the need was the greatest.

The planning process for a trip to St. Monica’s began in the summer of 2009 and would stretch until March of 2010, when forty-eight Oklahomans would make the 24-hour plus connecting flights to reach Uganda. Extensive planning included the obvious travel arrangements, numerous emails, faxes and conference calls with contacts in Uganda and hundreds of vaccinations (a lucky few who had not travelled to Africa before received seven or eight each). The doctors – Al Moorad, Suben Naidu, Chris Carey and Rob Tibbs – worked tirelessly to secure necessary medications, substantially discounted or often free of charge. Water4, an Edmond non-profit organization, prepared and sent equipment for drilling water wells. Inspire Management Company and the professional football players – Tommie Harris, Adrian Peterson, Mark Clayton and Roy Williams – hosted a fundraiser at the governor’s mansion. KWTV 9 and KOTV 6 made sure the efforts received substantial television coverage. In addition to Reggie, Oklahoma Bar members Mike Hinkle, John Hargrave, Matt Kane and Jay Mitchel, were involved in a variety of capacities as needed in the preparations.

While only in northern Uganda for a few days, the effect was dramatic, for Ugandans and Oklahomans alike. One new well was completed and locals were trained on the equipment to continue drilling for water long after PROS FOR AFRICA had departed. Over 600 people were treated by the medical providers. Food and water-filtering straws were distributed to thousands. And many, many more enjoyed a day or two of pure enjoyment, playing games, and hearing stories. Likewise, those of us who made the trip had an opportunity to witness firsthand the incredible achievements being made on a daily basis at St. Monica’s. As Reggie best put it into words:

“If you ever have a bad day or think you have reason to give up, all you have to do is visit these children in Uganda. I can almost guarantee you’ll find a reason to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Many of the young women under Sister Rosemary’s care have been kidnapped, mutilated, raped or tortured. Thanks to Sister Rosemary though, they now have hope, an opportunity for a bright future and many reasons to smile again.”