Invisible Children

Some people came to Utah Valley University today from the Invisible Children organization and showed a documentary, I found it to be both interesting and sad so I thought I would share.  

In 2003, three college aged filmmakers went to Northern Uganda to look for a story.  What they found was a war zone.  A war between the government of Uganda and a rebel group led by Joseph Kony called the Lord's Resistance Army or LRA.  Children became weapons in this war, being abducted from their homes during the night, turned into soldiers and forced to fight.

Child Soldier

Child Soldiers

Children in Northern Uganda often felt unsafe in their own homes and would travel to the center of town to sleep in bus stations or on the streets with thousands of other children.  These children are called night commuters.

Night Commuters--this is often the only place that children feel safe during the night.

This is where Invisible Children comes in.  They are a non profit organization that works towards long term development in war affected regions.  They work directly with the communities that are affected, sending children to school, along with other various programs mostly aimed at helping Ugandans to be self reliant and earn an income.  

The LRA has now moved into the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Northern Uganda has enjoyed peace for three years.  Invisible Children is still working with Ugandan people while also setting up programs in the Congo and hopes to one day see Joseph Kony arrested and all the child soldiers returned to their homes.