Most people are unaware of what’s happening in Uganda, but if they know, then their hearts are moved dramatically. There has been a war going on between the Ugandan government and the rebels for well over 23 years; it is “Africa’s longest running war,” as said on the Invisible Children website. This war is taking place in Northern Uganda. The war was linked back to a woman, Alice Lakwena, who believed that the Holy Spirit took over her body and led her to overthrow the Ugandan government in the 1980’s. She felt that the government was being unjust to the Acholi, a tribe in Uganda. Soon, after she gained a lot of followers, called the Holy Spirit Movement, which was more resistance to the government, she was exiled and a man, Joseph Kony, who claimed to be her cousin, took control and formed what is now the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army).

Some people in the Holy Spirit Movement did not approve of this change, so they dropped out of the rebellion. This led Kony to start abducting children and brainwashing them to kill in a place that the kids call “The Bush.” There, he would teach them how to fight, and then he would send them back home to kill their family and abduct more children, as their first mission. He would also have them rape innocent women. In 1996, children were still at a risk of being abducted, so for safety, the government tried to evacuate families from their houses and into small, overcrowded camps. This wasn’t the best idea because soon, people started dying of starvation, disease, and poverty. All the kids in Northern Uganda started walking miles and miles away to other cities in fear of being abducted. This is still taking place today.

The people of Northern Uganda are still hoping and praying for peace and safety. There are some nonprofit organizations that are focused on helping these people. One of the organizations is Invisible Children. Invisible Children started when three high school filmmakers decided to travel and explore Uganda. Instead, they came upon “a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims,” as described by Invisible Children. They put together a film and called it Invisible Children Rough Cut that is for sale on their website. There is a large variety of items that are also for sale on their website to help support all they’re trying to do.

Another organization is called World Vision. World Vision tries their hardest to help all hurting people of the world. They help the people in Haiti, Japan, and disaster relief in the United States. They also do a program where you can sponsor a child in a third world country that couldn’t originally afford things they need like food, water, etc. They have multiple food pantries around the United States that they provide food to the less fortunate.