A reporter from the Oxford Mail and Times has told how she has decided to quit her job for work in Uganda.

Rosalind Miles is to travel to the troubled north of the country with artist David Odwar from Bicester, who is setting up an arts centre to help children who have been traumatised by the ongoing civil war.

The 26-year-old will report on David’s work for the Oxford Mail and its sister weekly papers during a three week trip, and also plans to return to Uganda in January to help run the arts centre when it opens.

She is funding the trip herself and will meet some of the local people living in Gulu, where the arts centre is based, and hopes some of reports will also be of interest to a wider audience.

She said: “I’m hoping to get an insight into what is going on there as well as the work that is being done to set up the arts centre.

“I decided to resign because I had wanted to do some voluntary work and then this opportunity came up. I wanted to do something more worthwhile.”

Rosalind with David (centre) and
photographer Jonathan Hyams who
is also going on the trip

Rosalind, who has worked for Newsquest for three years, met David when she wrote about his arts centre project, which is called Through Art Keep Smiling.

He fled his native Uganda for Britain when he was 12, after witnessing the beginning of a war between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

He told Rosalind that people there live in constant fear of being attacked, but it receives little media coverage.

Rosalind said: “I have spoken to him for stories for a couple of years and had wanted to do some voluntary work, so in the back of my mind I thought I should phone him.

“About three weeks ago I did. I met him on the Monday, quit on the Tuesday and booked my tickets on the Wednesday.

“It has alll been a bit last minute but it is an unmissable opportunity.”

She added: “I’m really excited. It is a massive challenge and will be so different from the daily grind in the office where you mainly talk to people on the phone or by e-mail.

“It will be great to spend quality time there and will be a different way of reporting.”