Charity of the Month: Invisible Children

Picture taken from http://en.kindernothilfe.org/

Did you know that up to 66,000 children were abducted in Uganda over 2 decades of conflict? The statistics of "children soldiers" around the world are mind numbing:

• 2 million children killed in combat
• Over 1 million orphaned
• Over 6 million seriously injured or permanently disabled
• Over 10 million left with serious pyschological trauma.

The conflict in Uganda stems from confrontation between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Arms ("LRA"). There has been progress through peace talks, but the LRA has failed to enter into any formal and lasting peace agreement. Meanwhile, the people of Uganda are still struggling to make ends meet, after they were displaced and found far away from their homes and livelihood. 1.8 million people were displaced, and about 1 million of those remain in Internally Displaced Persons ("IDP") camps. These camps are not your idea of fun. They are overcrowded, dirty, and dangerous.

With these statistics in mind, we turn to our charity of the month: Invisible Children. I first became aware of them through a fellow lawstudent, Darrell. He was promoting an Invisible Children movie screening that was being hosted at our school. I remember going to the movie screening with Jeff. And I remember crying as we walked back to our car. I felt so helpless. I still don't understand how there are situations around the world, like these children in Uganda, and the world doesn't stop it. Sometimes I wonder: if more people cared, and if more people were AWARE, would that make a difference? I'd like to think that the answer is yes. Sorry...I'll stop ranting and get back to Invisible Children :)

The organization focuses on making documentaries, but it goes beyond that: they raise money to build schools and provide scholarships for Ugandan children, to offer them hope for the future. I hope you guys check out their website. You can support Invisible Children by buying one of their cool documentaries and bracelets, and by spreading the word!