ARUA GHETTO KIDS JOIN UPDF IN CLEANING ARUA CITY

BY EMMANUEL OJOK

ARUA: The ghetto youth of Arua City have joined the UPDF in preparations for the Tarehe Sita and belated NRM liberation day celebrations.

The group participated in the cleaning of Arua Regional Referral Hospital alongside the army.

According to their president in West Nile, Rasta Guy the engagement was to appreciate the relative peace in the country.

According to Rasta Guy the President of the group says they have joined the UPDF to see that the city is clean in appreciation of the work that UPDF has done for the country under the current regime.

He says that Arua and the country at large is enjoying peace and freedom because of the stable security provided by the UPDF.

“We are joining the UPDF to ensure that the city is clean because of the peace we are enjoying under Museveni’s regime. Our parents had been in exile suffering but now they are back home. At least we can hassle and take our children to school,” He said.

Godfrey Apangu the Principal Health Inspector Arua City has applauded the army and highlights the impending programs. He says that the ghetto youth participate in the army week annually. He says that they usually participate in cleaning streets, hospitals and markets among others.

“They have mapped a number of facilities to clean, am extremely happy about their contribution,” said Apangu.

Members of the group say they have enjoyed the work and ask for opportunities in order to prove that they are worth living in the community.

“We are here with the afandes cleaning and enjoying the work. We have to help if other people cannot help,” said one ghetto youth.

Other members of the group castigated some members of the community for the negative perception about the ghetto youth. They say that sme people portray them as robbers and drug addicts among others. They say that they can contribute to the development of the country when given the opportunity.

“Ghettos are not bad people, they can work with everyone but we don’t have the work opportunities,” said one member. Tarehe Sita,’ is marked every 6th of February to remember the day the National Resistance Army (NRA), led by Yoweri Museveni, launched an armed struggle to end misrule in Uganda.