Project

Kenya and Uganda: From Displacement to Re-Settlement

For about 18 months, more than a half of million people from the Ugandan area have been displaced after post-election violence forced them from their homes.

Some estimates said that more than 650,000 Kenyans and Ugandans were displaced after a chaotic dispute following the 2007 presidential elections.

The Kenyan government is in the midst of trying to patch what they see as an eyesore. The government announced they would be giving a few thousand IDPs money to rebuild their now-destroyed homes. It was also reported that the Chinese government donated about $26 million in roofing materials to help in rebuilding.

While it may appear the once-dreary situation has cleared, that may not be the case. Many IDPs do not want to resettle and have refused the government handout. Others fear retribution upon moving back to their old homes.

Jordan Wilson will detail these struggles, report on any remaining IDPs and follow around families as they try to re-integrate into society after spending a year and a half in makeshift camps.

Out of Place, On the Mind

It was a run Sara Mudhoui wants to forget.

The chase pitted her and her family against machine gun-toting looters and murderers who ruthlessly set ablaze everything in sight.

It was the stuff nightmares are made of. But it wasn't a dream – it was real-life terror for Mudhoui, her personal hell.

"(My town) was very dangerous," the 34-year-old said somberly in Swahili, tears tumbling down her dusty cheeks. "We had to jump over seven dead bodies just before reaching the main road."

Personally Displaced

I tried to ignore the gauze wrapped around her battered finger. The normally white cloth had faded pink, indicative of days of dried blood coated in dirt.

Looking past her oversized and over-worn sandals, the Kenyan girl's leg told another story.

A white bone protruded through a mass of bloodied and infected skin.

There was a shortage of food and water, but a surplus of sickness and sorrow.

I was out of my comfort zone.

Personally Displaced: Final Multimedia Project

Jordan Wilson, Pulitzer Student Fellow

Jordan presents his final multimedia project, which recaps his reporting in Kenya. It will appear in the online edition of the Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Announcing the 2009 Student Reporting Fellows!

Students at Campus Consortium member schools were eligible to apply for reporting fellowships of up to $2,000 each and the opportunity to work with the Pulitzer Center staff on an international reporting project. Listed below are the inaugural winners for 2009 and previews of their projects.