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Stylo Creations

Thomas Lee

A self-described journalist-artist who longs to tell stories through his photos, Thomas traveled to northern Uganda in 2005 as part of the Open Shutter Project. The project, which found artists filming and shooting in Uganda, helped tell the stories of the individuals effected by a terrible, and under reported, war. Now living in New York City, Thomas, originally from Taiwan, received degrees in film and art theory and practice from Northwestern University. He recently traveled to Afghanistan to document the lives of weavers in Kabul, Andkhol, and Bamiyan for Arzu, Inc., a non-profit that provides Afghan women sustainable income by sourcing and selling their homemade, hand-woven rugs.


 

"Open Taxi" appeared on the cover of Abroad View magazine fall 2006.

Hitching a ride on one of these “taxis” is the cheapest way to reach an Internally Displaced People’s camp in northern Uganda. It is also the most popular form of transportation from camp to town. It is, however, a dangerous ride: Lord’s Resistance Army rebels often ambush civilian vehicles.

 



For nearly 20 years, a rebel group called the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been waging war against the Ugandan government: burning down villages, killing civilians, abducting and forcing children to serve as soldiers and sex slaves. Based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the LRA continues to terrorize northern Uganda, causing some 1.6 million people to abandon their homes and live in Internally Displaced People (IDP) Camps. In Parabongo, an IDP camp in northern Uganda, a fire—the second that month—destroyed about 200 huts. Fires are common during dry seasons in IDP camps and spread quickly through the makeshift dwellings. Many in the camp blamed the frequent fires on witchcraft, turning to the supernatural to make sense out of a senseless situation. For complete picture stories and ways to advocate peace in northern Uganda visit: www.stylocreations.com/uganda.