Recently, I was interviewed at Lake Catholic High School, where I am the Service Director, by Jason Lea of the Mentor Patch. Here is the result. (Debbie Jarosz)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/20/greatest-person-debbie-jarosz-_n_1441401.html
Invisible Children Video Kony2012: Not the Whole Story!!!
03/10/2012
The video Kony2012 recently posted on You Tube has caused a virtual frenzy among impressionable teenagers across the country. While the Invisible Children organization does a good job calling attention to an issue that was previously unheard of by most, the picture it presents of the humanitarian crisis in Uganda is far from complete and its emotional appeal is based on a situation that no longer exists in Uganda itself. The following articles provide a more balanced picture of the real situation as well as critique of the Kony2012 video.
Let’s put our funds where they actually help the people of Uganda in their recovery from this tragedy rather than to the travel expenses and video equipment of those who sensationalize it.
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/03/07/stop-kony-yes-but-dont-stop-asking-questions/
GuluHelp’s position on the issue of U.S. deployment of troops to Uganda is in line with the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative which includes The Archbishop of the Diocese of Gulu, The most Reverend John Baptiste Odama.
ACHOLI RELIGIOUS LEADERS PEACE INITIATIVE
Gulu Office
Plot 16 Olya Road P.O. Box 104, Gulu, Uganda
Tel: 256-471-432484 Email: arlpi.interfaith@gmail.com
Kitgum Office
Plot 121 Uhuru Drive P.O. Box 185 Kitgum, Uganda
Pader Office
1st Street P.O. Box 50 Pader, Uganda
October 24, 2011
Response to the Deployment of U.S. Military Advisors to LRA Affected Regions
For us, the Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative (ARLPI), President Obama’s October 14th announcement that 100 U.S. troops have been deployed to the region to assist with the capture of Joseph Kony and the dismantling of his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leaves us concerned. Over the past two decades, the people of Northern Uganda have endured horrific violence as a result of the war between the LRA and the Government of Uganda (GoU). Despite numerous attempts at resolving this dispute, to date, these measures have not only failed to result in the hoped for peace but led instead to the broadening of the conflict to neighboring countries.
In response to the White House’s recent announcement, we would first like to reiterate our sincere appreciation to President Obama and the American Congress for your attention to the plight of our people. We are thankful for your desire for peace and justice in the world. Your efforts to achieve reconciliation and meet humanitarian needs in LRA affected regions cannot be understated and loudly communicates that we are not forgotten.
We also, however, feel the need to express our concern over the military nature of the current strategy. As history has taught us, military intervention is not the way to resolve the LRA conflict and achieve a sustainable peace. In the past, such approaches have directly resulted in the intensification of LRA violence and the increased endangerment of civilians.
While many have lost hope in any peaceful resolution to the conflict, the reality is that the peace process, in particular the Juba peace talks which began in 2006, is responsible for the relative calm being experienced in northern Uganda today. We, therefore, strongly implore all concerned parties to prioritize and creatively explore non-violent means to resolve the conflict. Instead of relying on military intervention, let us redouble our efforts to engage in dialogue. We believe this is the only way to bring
about a lasting solution that will foster healing and reconciliation in a region of the world that has long experienced instability and deserves peace.
In conclusion, we strongly urge all participating entities to enter into and remain in consultations with regional CSO’s, NGO’s, grassroots leaders and their communities about the best ways forward to bring an end to one of the world’s longest running conflicts. We also ask policy makers in the United States, Africa and elsewhere to heed the lessons of history and focus their efforts on dialogue rather than force, engagement rather than confrontation. We sincerely believe that this is the only way that the LRA will be brought to an end, a sustainable peace will be reached, and the clouds of violence and chaos that have darkened our region for so long be dissipated.
Together for peace,
________________________________
+ Rt. Rev. Johnson Gakumba ((Chairman ARLPI) Bishop Diocese of Northern Uganda) * All Hajji Sheik Musa Khalil (the Khadi Acholi) – Vice Chairman ARLPI + Most Rev. John Baptist Odama (Archbishop of Gulu) – Member ARLPI + Rt. Rev. Macleod Baker Ochola II (Retired Bishop Diocese of Kitgum) + Fr. Julius Orach (the Dean of Orthodox Church) – Member ARLPI + Rt. Rev. Benjamin Ojwang (Bishop of Kitgum Diocese) – Member ARLPI + Rt. Rev. Nelson Onono Onweng (Retired Bishop Diocese of Northern Uganda) – Member ARLPI +Pr. Lisa David (SDA Resident Pastor Gulu) +Pr. Patrick Okecha (Overseer Born Again Faith Federation)
New Book about the lived experience of violence in Northern Uganda
01/03/2012
Paul Peter Rom Abim, a Roman Catholic Priest in the Archdiocese of Gulu has written an amazing book about the horrors of war that he experienced during 32 of his 34 years of life in Northern Uganda. It is a must read for those who want to really understand what the Acholi people have had to endure. Follow this link to find out more
01/03/2012
Changes to the GuluHelp Board of Directors
As of January 1, 2012, the newly elected President of the Board, Deborah Jarosz will take the office vacated by Peter Davet who has resigned as President but remains a member of the board.
Capturing the Fun and the Beauty of Acholi Land – Debbie Jarosz and Heather Boyle
08/22/2011
Traveling in Northern Uganda was much more than visiting health centers and researching potential interventions. We laughed and danced and celebrated life everywhere we went and Heather’s flare for photography was a valuable tool for capturing the beauty and the fun that we experienced. Hope you enjoy the photos
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Visiting Diocesan Health Centers in Northern Uganda
08/22/2011
Debbie Jarosz and Heather Boyle traveled to Northern Uganda to represent GuluHelp Foundation on a tour of nine different Health Centers and three Hospitals within the Gulu Archdiocese. Our host and driver, Father Jino Mwaka as well as Sr. Liberata, the new Diocesan Health Coordinator, made the journey both informative and exciting! At each of the Health Centers (Atanga, Padibe, Pajule, Puranga,St. Mauritz, Minakulu, Anaka and Amuru) and hospitals (Lacor, Kitgum and Kalongo), we met with staff and management teams to discuss the challenges they face in treating malnutrition and disease in their communities as well as providing pre and post care for
meeting at St. Mauritz Health Center with Sr. Helen, comprehensive enrolled nurse.
mothers, especially with such limited funds and resources. Outreach to the community is vital to the success of all these health centers. Many expectant mothers do not seek antenatal care during their pregnancies or come to the hospital for deliveries.
Pictured below are Sr. Liberata, Heather, Debbie, staff members and some management committee members at St. Joseph’s Health Center. GuluHelp hopes to continue its support of this facility in Minakulu. We await the reports and recommendations of Sr.Liberata to determine other possible interventions.
My Africa Experience – Patrick Martin
07/15/2011
My African Experience
By Patrick Martin
Hudson, OHIO
My senior experience was a trip to Africa. Well, not just a trip. The word trip implies sightseeing and vacationing. While I did see many great things and go on many great adventures, I also learned many valuable, educational points regarding the state of healthcare in a third world country, the state of political governance in Uganda, and some of the reasons why the nation of Uganda has remained a predominantly third world country. I received these educational insights by shadowing a doctor at Lacor hospital in Gulu, accompanying a priest, Father Jino, while he performed his priestly duties, and meeting, talking, and interacting with the people who live in Uganda, including Father Jino’s family, members of religious communities, residents of the guest house at St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor , and the people of Uganda, from the countryside and city. These insights have made me much more appreciative of the American way of life we are so blessed to live. However, during my stay in Uganda, I encountered a level of joy, peace, and happiness I have never experienced before. The Ugandans, who live in a largely agrarian society with little material wealth, are the happiest, loving, and religious people I have ever met. After this experience, after knowing these people, I am now challenged to live a more loving simple life, less concerned with material well-being.
The first part of my experience involved shadowing a doctor, Sean Kelley, at Lacor – St. Mary’s Hospital. Sean is a student at Ohio State who is finishing his residency at Lacor. After his residency, he plans to become a liver specialist in four years studying in Minnesota. He studied at Duke University during his undergraduate years and was an all American finalist on the Duke cross-country team. He is thirty-two years old and a great guy to hangout with. I know Sean through the Gulu Help foundation, a foundation that started in 2007 at our then home parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora. The mission of GuluHelp is to collaborate with the people of Gulu and the Archdiocese of Gulu to help them recover from over two decades of war and unspeakable atrocities. GuluHelp focuses their efforts on peace building and supporting small diocesan health units who otherwise despite their great and valuable service, hardly get noticed. Because the poverty level is extreme and paying jobs are rare, most patients are unable to pay for badly needed medical care. Both Sean’s and my mother are involved in supporting this foundation.
Fr. Jino Mwaka lived at Our Lady of Perpetual Help as a priest in residence for five years while he was completing his education at Kent State University. During those years, his love for Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, his humility and his deep faith endeared him greatly to the parishioners at OLPH. Upon his return to Uganda, the people of OLPH donated, along with the Jarosz Family Foundation, much of the funds that enabled Father Jino to purchase a land cruiser to navigate Gulu’s hazardous, unpaved roads. In the future, the GuluHelp foundation hopes to raise money to purchase a viral load-testing machine for Hepatitis B levels for Lacor Hospital. Currently, viral load testing, a key diagnostic tool, is not available in Uganda for Hepatitis B, which is greatly undermanaged in the population. As such, patients needing viral load are required to travel to Kampala, itself a hardship for many people, and pay the equivalent of two to three months salary for the blood test to be completed in South Africa.
During our stay at Lacor, I shadowed Sean while he worked in both the medical ward and the pediatrics ward. By observing him, I learned much about the state of healthcare in Uganda. Sean’s first comments about the hospital were that you would never see this kind of hospital in America. In one room, there were ten patients, each with a different serious disease, including malaria, leukemia, meningitis, tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia, a spinal bone fracture, food poisoning, and hepatitis B. All of these diseases were in one room. To see this amount of suffering in one small-enclosed place was very overwhelming. While Sean worked, I often found myself praying for these people’s recovery.
I observed Sean perform a number of operations besides routine check ups on patients during our time in Uganda. On the first day, I watched him administer an I.V. and a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions are rare because of a shortage in blood in Uganda due to HIV infection, and AIDS victims not being able to donate blood. Other operations included suctioning a trachea, a bone marrow biopsy, and a lymph node biopsy. All of these operations were performed without anesthesia or morphine, but with only a localized numbing agent. Other interesting cases to note included a patient who died from a heart attack. However, this heart attack was the result of untreated strep throat and the resulting rheumatic fever, which caused a heart valve to stiffen which caused the patient to suffocate in his own blood. Another case that would never occur in the U.S. was a child with hepatitis B who could have easily been treated by a medication the hospital had in stock. However, the child could not afford the medicine. In America, patients have access to healthcare coverage that would pay for this medicine. This boy will die if he does not receive the medicine. These observations taught me much about the state of healthcare in Uganda.
Another event that educated me about the state of healthcare in Uganda was our trip to Minakalu Health center, 45 minutes south of Gulu. There, Sean saw one hundred patients in the course of 9 hours and had to send one hundred fifty more home. The overwhelming number of patients was due to the fact that the health center had not had a doctor in four months. The health center is normally run by a Nurse and a Midwife. To help increase the number of patients we could see, I took and recorded temperature and blood pressure. Cases ranged from minor gastro-intestinal issues to more serious cases of sickle cell paralysis and infections that could speedily result in death if not treated. On the way back to Lacor that day, I gave a child with an infection sixty thousand shillings to pay for the minor operation at Lacor that would save his life. We also took a child with sickle cell anemia back to Lacor with us. This was a day I will never forget. All of these experiences contributed to my evaluation of Uganda’s healthcare services. While the healthcare in Uganda has its problems and is not as organized as the healthcare system in America, Lacor hospital administers life-saving care to a significant number of patients. Lacor also performs the important task of training new doctors, who then move out into the various health centers and treat patients. So, in conclusion, while the healthcare system in Uganda is not large enough to effectively treat all cases, it has a solid base upon which to expand. However, it is important for first world nations to continue funding the hospitals in order that they may purchase specialized equipment for the very sparse health centers, such as viral load testing. If this funding occurs, it is only a matter of time before Lacor can train enough doctors to occupy the health centers and expand and solidify the healthcare system in Uganda.
One reason why Ugandan healthcare is not yet up to speed with the rest of the world is because Uganda has been a war torn nation for the past twenty years. By shadowing Father Jino during my time in Uganda, I learned the important history behind these conflicts and the things and events that are taking place now in Uganda to help counteract the results of civil bloodshed. The Ugandan Catholic Church creates the largest peace network in the nation in collaboration with other religious groups and civil society. Through its organizations of religious sisters and brothers, the Catholic Church contributes order to a largely chaotic country. During this critical time of restoration after two civil wars have torn apart the nation, the Catholic Church is working hard to maintain a peaceful state. During my time shadowing Father Jino, I was able to witness some of the various things the Church is doing to maintain this peace, such as attend some sessions of the second synod. The synod is a meeting of the priests, religious men and women, and the laity in various capacities together with their Archbishops from the various parts of the Archdiocese (which comprises 7 civil administrative district local governments). The meeting lasted two weeks and during this time, the delegates discussed their plan to rebuild their people and the church after it was torn apart by the war. As people return to their homes in the countryside and begin to take part in their local parish community again, the church needs an agenda to organize the parishioners into various groups that can provide societal benefit, such as “life-teen” programs, RCIA programs, and catechist training programs as well as programs of socio-economic empowerment of the people. The synod works to make these groups a reality by setting specific time frames to accomplish these goals. The second synod, the first after the wars, culminated in the celebration of the One Hundred Years of the Catholic Faith in Northern Uganda. The Comboni Missionaries came from Italy to Uganda one hundred years ago and among the fruits of their evangelization, there are the two martyrs – Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa, who adds the number of the Ugandan Martyrs from 22 to 24. The celebration took place during a four hour long mass with liturgical screamers and dancers, and the president of Uganda spoke and gave his blessing, acknowledging the good value the Catholic Church contributes to Uganda.
And the Catholic Church does contribute so much good to Uganda. During my time in the country, Father Jino showed me many ways the church is contributing to the nation, besides the peace work it is doing. The church funds Uganda’s finest educational institutions, which train future doctors, engineers and other professionals. The church provides primary, secondary, and high school to Ugandan children. At, or after high school level classes, students can enter a seminary, where they study to become a religious leader, who will work tirelessly to ensure the future education of Ugandans. Priests work at parishes, maintaining peace in the countryside, while sisters join religious communities that are home to the country’s finest nursing schools for women. Father Jino himself is starting a brand new college in Gulu that will train counselors to help Ugandans recover from the atrocities of the war.
All of the good the church is doing contrasts starkly with the stories of Uganda’s war torn history that Father Jino shared with us. If one were to see Uganda in its current state, without understanding this history, the impact the church has had on the peace efforts of the nation would be lost. While the nation’s industry and healthcare still lag behind many other nations, the work and impact of the Catholic Church has been great and it continues to work toward a new age of peace and prosperity for the Ugandan people.
I could sense this change in the nation, in the people. I could see the hope of a better future in Uganda. In my short time there, I saw a nation that was on the brink of learning to live without fear, fear of its government, fear of the rebel soldiers, fear of not being able to live a peaceful life. The day before my arrival, the president of Uganda was inaugurated into office for his 4th term (beginning the 26th year in office). After years of war following the nation’s independence, Uganda hopefully is learning how to build a peaceful society. After seeing where this incredible nation is headed, I cannot wait to return in the future and see the developments in peace and prosperity the Ugandans are achieving.
Gulu Help “Fun” Raiser – July 24, 2011
06/16/2011
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Please Join Us!!!
Come and help us raise funds for the people of Northern Uganda while enjoying an afternoon of fun, food and good company. Please feel free to invite a friend!
Host: Debbie and Bruce Jarosz 440-951-8027
When:
Sunday, July 24 at 2:00 PM
Where:
Our home
7602 Debonaire Dr.
Mentor, OH 44060
“Fun” Raising events include:
- Wine tasting (featuring some of Napa’s finest) $20/person
- Corn Hole tournament $15/entry
- Chinese Auction $3/ticket
- Fifty-Fifty raffle $5/ ticket
All donations are tax deductible.
If you can donate by July15th, take advantage of this DISCOUNTED PACKAGE FOR 2.
2 wine tastings, 2 corn hole entries, 5 Chinese auction tickets and 4 fifty-fifty tickets for $65.
Make checks payable to GuluHelp Foundation and send to 7602 Debonaire Mentor, Oh. 44060 or use Paypal on our website, guluhelpuganda.org
Additional donations can also be made in advance or at the event.
RSVP to Debbie Jarosz djteach13@yahoo.com,
440-951-8027
Improvements to St. Joseph Health Center in Minakulu
01/13/2011
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Fr. Jino cuts the ribbon for the new bathroom facility
With the assistance of GuluHelp Foundation, much needed renovations were made to the St. Joseph Health Center in Minakulu, including a new kitchen for food preparation and a new latrine. Father Jino represented GuluHelp at the opening celebration.
