Everena Okott (67) finishes speaking in the partial indoor light. Geoffrey translates politely, “She says, as you can see, the small lights here (he points to the ceiling) these were bullets and they were firing… that’s what she says… There is no one to get up there and fix it. And when it starts raining there’s actually no defence… But she is now old, and when she looks at her children, yeah, she doesn’t know what their future is.”
Outside, back in the sunlight, I ask Geoffrey about the Acholi word nego-nego that Everena had used frequently in places during the interview. I’m trying to learn Acholi, and it’s clearly a common word. It’d be easy enough to remember, like afoyo which seems to be a blend of thank you and hello. Or the more effusive afoyo matek. Geoffrey looks at me strangely, and explains that nego-nego, in Acholi, means killing.
Thank you World Vision for sponsoring this sign. No, I have no idea why you did it either.