Oboi Charles, Uganda "All the houses were burnt by the rebels and the Karamojong warriors"

My name is Oboi Charles. I am 41 years old and have eight children. I have been in this camp [Swaria, in the eastern Soroti district] since 2003, after I fled Asamuk [in northern Teso region]. I left my village because there was nowhere to live - all the houses were burnt by the rebels and the Karamojong warriors.

Because Kony [Joseph, leader of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)] is still alive in the bush, we will stay here. The LRA abducted five children from my village - three escaped, one was killed, and we don't know where one is.

Here in the camp, life may be tough, but we feel secure. There are 1,300 displaced people here, of whom only a few have returned. We do not receive adequate help, and the children have been chased from school. They want us to pay school fees, but where can I get money to pay the fees? Some people do odd jobs in the town [Soroti] and get some money. Still, it is not enough to pay the school fees. So we leave the children to stay at home.

You cannot just go back to Asamuk to be killed by the rebels or the warriors. The war is not over. Until Kony is dead, the war cannot end.