by Sandra Bulling

South Africa: I think of orange-tinted sunlight spreading across vast grasslands, animals lounging around in the heat, brightly-coloured cities, people whose passion for football is second to nothing.

Blue skies, football fever - this is how we imagine South Africa to be (photo: CARE/Bräutigam)

South Africa: I land at Johannesburg airport and what I see is: rain, nothing but cloudy skies. I wonder if the aircraft didn’t circle above Europe for 10 hours and then drop us off accidentally in Cologne again. But suddenly I catch a glimpse of some footballs and Vuvuzelas in the arrival area. Indeed, this must be South Africa.

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by Lee Webster

Goodness, is it really my last day in Uganda? I wake up with a whole mixture of emotions. I’m so privileged to have shared this special journey with women who I now count as friends. I’m hopeful, yet aware of Ugandan women’s struggle for a violence free future.  And I’m sad that I’ll be leaving the campaign in Uganda behind – although determined that when I get back to the CARE office in the UK, we will continue to support it. (more…)

by Lee Webster

December 2nd

I called Grace from my hotel this morning, to check details of the day, and within minutes found myself being whisked off in the CARE car to a meeting in the Ugandan parliament!

We’d arrived in Kampala to find our plans of attending parliament with the 336 women activists disrupted. An MP had recently died, and the Speaker of Parliament was concerned that our ‘celebration’ would not be in the correct mood with a funeral taking place. (more…)

by Lee Webster

December 1st, 2009

It’s World AIDS Day today, a pertinent day to be in Uganda, a country which has been recognised for its efforts to stem the tide of HIV.  Still, in Uganda, nearly 6 per cent of the population is HIV positive.  I’ve noticed here though that there’s an openness to discuss HIV that I’ve not encountered in other places. (more…)

by Dr. Anton Markmiller

A real Nobel Peace Prize sitting in a café in Capetown (photo: CARE/Markmiller)

My chair is creaking and shaking in a very alarming way, as I sit down after the opening prayer at the cathedral St. George in Cape Town. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is standing at the altar and laughs his cheerful laughter because guests are attending the mass. (more…)

by Lee Webster

30. November 2009

I had terrible nightmares last night.  Haunting, terrifying dreams where people I love and trust attacked and hurt me.  I woke up in a cold sweat, petrified.
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by Lee Webster

November 28, 2009

Today we’re in Kitgum, a small town about an hour’s drive from Pader.  Two coach loads of women have joined us from Pader, and today another coach of Kitgum women will join the caravan.  Today’s march through Kitgum town centre was exhilarating.  Local women came out to clap, cheer and dance us along our way. (more…)

by Lee Webster

One hundred women marched through the town of Pader to raise awareness for women’s rights (photo: CARE)

November 27, 2009.

Today our journey continues from Gulu to Pader – an hour and a half by road, dodging potholes and wandering cattle on the way.  Our party has grown.  Jenny (the photographer I am traveling with), Grace and I have been joined by Judith, CARE Uganda’s sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) focal point, and James, a local consultant who’s been hired to translate from Acholi to English for us. (more…)

by Lee Webster

“No small problem in Uganda”: violence against women is often invisible, but never acceptable (photo: CARE/Gignoux)

Lee Webster, from our CARE London office, is joining women activists, all survivors of rape, who are embarking on a four-day march from their home in the conflict-affected north to the capital Kampala to meet their politicians and say enough is enough. (more…)

A blog for Copenhagen

by Thomas Schwarz

Nairobi skies: Will there be rain soon? (photo: CARE/Freccia)

Last night, before I went to bed, I looked up to the skies. It seemed completely overcast by rainclouds. (more…)