It’s 9pm in San Diego, California. For the littlest ones in your house, it’s time for bed. They may wake up a in an hour or two from a bad dream but. thanks to you, their hero, you reassure them that it was only a dream and that all the monsters underneath their bed have been chased away. Over 9 thousand miles away in Acholiland, Uganda children aren’t as fortunate. They are waking up in the middle of a real-life nightmare.
These brave kids are known as The Invisible Children. Their story was captured by happenstance by three young filmmakers who journeyed to Africa in hopes to document the mass genocide in Darfur, but instead were shocked by the stories of the children who live in constant fear of being abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army.
The LRA is a militant group commanded by Joseph Kony, a Ugandan guerrilla leader who, in 2008, was placed on the United State’s Treasury Department’s list of specially designated global terrorists. His mission: abducting children from their homes, giving them weapons, and teaching them how to kill in order to maintain his “power.” In nearly two decades more than 30 thousand children have been captured from their homes. The boys are forced to become child soldiers, sometimes murdering their own family members as initiation, and the girls are doomed to sexual slavery.
While your children are getting tucked into their beds, the Invisible Children of Uganda are waking up away from their homes. Every night, children between the ages of three and 17 walk up to 12 miles in the dark to city centers where they sleep in packed rooms in order to escape from LRA who target their small villages.
The Invisible Children Inc., founded by the same filmmakers who initially captured their story, has grown exponentially in the past several years. They have raised money to rebuild schools that have been destroyed by violence. They have organized the Global Night Commute where more than 80 thousand people in 126 U.S. cities and seven countries around the world marched together and spent the night in parks in order to raise awareness and show support for the night walkers of Uganda. They have 1.5 million followers on Facebook, and just recently they released their newest campaign which, in a matter of only two days, has already reached over 11 million viewers on youtube.
Kony 2012 is the latest campaign started by Invisible Children Inc. It’s main goal is to make Joseph Kony infamous by exposing his cruelty to those who have never heard his name. Currently, the United States has sent a handful of troops into Uganda in hopes of capturing Kony and bringing him to justice for his crimes which include 33 charges, 12 counts for crimes against humanity including murder, sexual enslavement, rape, and forced enlistment into the rebel ranks. The Invisible Children organization urges people to get involved and use their voice to make a difference in the lives of those who can no longer speak for themselves.
Be a hero to the Invisible Children of Uganda by getting rid of the monsters in their lives. Spread the word and join the movement of Kony 2012.
Journalist, Phoebe Chongchua's Site
