Mato Oput ─ The Drinking of a Bitter Potion Made from the Oput Tree

Kidega is a former child soldier who grew up in Acholiland, in the village of Acaya. All Kidega ever dreamed of was playing football for Kampala City Council F.C. (KCC) just like Latigo. (Latigo originates from Kitgum District in Northern Uganda; he captivated the nation with his football [soccer] talent. What Michael Jordan achieved in basketball, Latigo achieved in soccer.) But then, at the age of thirteen, Kidega's life was eclipsed by the death of his family and his abduction and training as a soldier. Kidega undergoes Mato Oput, a cleansing ceremony, in his journey of forgiveness and reconciliation. Kidega remembered Ladit Naptali Ocoo's words: "It is possible to break the cycle of hate and revenge. It is possible to find peace again." As Kidega stood there, on the edge of his new life, with the pain and devastation of the past behind him, he knew, finally, that this was true.