INVISIBLE CHILDREN

UNDERSTANDING the problem in Uganda
by Lindsey Harter

Photo by Jordan Jarvis

It’s almost comical now to think back on the fears we had as children when the lights went out at night. Shadows became monsters and sometimes we were sure about those horrible creatures that lurked beneath our beds while we slept. It was always comforting to hear Mom or Dad assure us that “there is nothing to be afraid of”.

For the children of northern Uganda, fear far exceeds that of an imaginary shadow, and it cannot be accompanied by any true assurance. These children simply hope to make it through the night, praying that they will not be abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that has been attempting to take over the Uganda government for the past 20 years. Unfortunately, for about 30,000 Ugandan children, this fear has become a reality, leaving them as sex slaves, objects of torture and mutilation, or forced as soldiers against their own people.

The LRA targets children roughly between the ages of 5 and 14 because they are strong enough to carry weapons (and learn how to use them) but young enough to be brainwashed through fear. This process begins almost immediately after their capture. Usually within the first week, the children set aside for soldier training are forced to murder another abducted child with nothing but a panga (a type of machete). If a child disobeys, the same act he was instructed to perform will be carried out on him instead. Constant exposure to this type of violence has now become their routine environment. Removed from their homes, the only education these children will receive will be in tactics of murder and destruction.

Every night there are tens of thousands of Ugandan children who travel to bus ports or hospitals from their homes in an attempt to sleep safely. Despite this heavy darkness, compassion and love for these children are becoming increasingly evident throughout the world. Invisible Children, an organization based in California, works to bring international attention to the issue, motivate governmental efforts, and raise financial support to build communities of safety and education for the children of northern Uganda. Unfortunately, however, there is much more work to be done. Please join us in bringing hope to this desperate generation of children.