Wanderlust: Virtual Trip to Africa

Travel is something we all dream of doing. As a student currently supported by the parents it is particularly difficult to convince them to buy me a plane ticket to anywhere other than school or home. However, I recently had the opportunity to travel to the continent of Africa, specifically Uganda, Burkina Faso and South Africa, for free!!!

My university hosted the Africa World Film Festival from March 8th to 11th. It featured 

documentary style films from the continent and the diaspora. I was able to check out No place for a Rebel, BURKINABE RISING: The Art of Resistance in Burkina Faso, and The Good Ones.

No Place for a Rebel followed the life of a former child solider who grew up to a commander in the Lord's Resistance Army(LRA) of Joseph Kony. This is a rebel group in Uganda that terrorized many rural villages. In 2012, there was a large Facebook movement called 'Who is Kony?' which was popularized as the Ugandan officials were on the hunt for him. This documentary really opened my eyes to the hardships one can go through if they try to return to a normal life. The main character Opono returned to his village after leaving the LRA and faces isolation and rejection because of the horrible acts the LRA did to the community. He finds it difficult to readjust after being in a war environment for sixteen years. His education is also very basic so finding a job is difficult for him. His uncle supports him as he tries to get back on his feet and encourages to join a carpentry class since he has a passion for it. How ever due to the discrimination he faces when the villages find out that he was a part of the rebels, pushes him back into LRA.

Although it was a sad ending, it was very interesting to see how someone in this situation copes in this situation. Looking forward to the next one.