3 young filmmakers educate millions to tell a story of the world’s INVISIBLE CHILDREN.
In the past 24 years, over 30,000 children have been abducted in central Africa to serve as soldiers for Joseph Kony, a rebel leader. An additional 2 million people have been displaced in central Africa as a result of the violence.
Since 2003, Invisible Children has used its entrepreneurial spirit to engage millions in teaching and advocating for peace in Uganda. Sounding like a fairytale story in itself, Invisible Children began when three young filmmakers ventured to Africa. They returned with the “rough cut” of their concept for Invisible Children. After initial viewings for their family and friends, Invisible Children reached out to the young spirit of America through their multimedia story. “How can I help?” was the overwhelming response to Invisible Children’s work. And so, in the years since their first movie screening, Invisible Children has gained major individual, community, and governmental support to reveal the story of Uganda’s Invisible Children.
Jenna Ingrassia, the Office Manager at Invisible Children, explains the unique impact that Invisible Children “has had on the youth of western countries. I feel like our generation has been categorized as apathetic and lazy. Through Invisible Children, I have personally witnessed people of all ages becoming active and engaging in something much larger than themselves with their communities.”
Invisible Children sends its message across America with the help of groups of “Roadies” who tour the U.S. to screen the original, raw footage of the effects of the war in Uganda.
One of Invisible Children’s most popular programs is “Schools for Schools,” where students in western countries fundraise to build “sister” schools for children affected by the war in Uganda. This initiative has expanded to educate teachers (both Ugandan and western) to exchange skills and cultural values.
To raise awareness through local and national media outlets, in April 2009, Invisible Children took to the streets of America. Organized groups in major cities around the U.S. showed solidarity with those children abducted in Uganda by staging “The Rescue.” Groups of Invisible Children supporters “abducted themselves” to popular sites in major cities, only deemed “rescued” once a major media outlet recognized their “abduction.”
Jenna wrote that “The Rescue event in Chicago was an amazing experience… When we finally were spontaneously put on Oprah's Friday morning show, I just remember feeling so relieved. Oprah definitely raised the profile of the current situation with the L.R.A., [(The Lord’s Resistance Army) a militant group based in northern Uganda,] and Joseph Kony... she gave it the exposure that it has been lacking for the past 23 years. Check it our here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noq5nGiyaY&feature=related.”
Right now, Invisible Children’s “main focuses are the L.R.A. Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act and our Legacy Tour. We have a meeting with the State Department to discuss the bill and the petition to make sure our representatives recognize the situation in central-east Africa as one that needs immediate attention. The Legacy Tour is a three month long international tour that will include guest appearances by the people who have been featured in our films or a part of our programs from northern Uganda. You can find more info on that here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMovement/National_Tour”
With the plethora of opportunities that Invisible Children has to offer, it is no wonder they are in second place on Chase Community Giving’s Facebook application to receive 1 million dollars if they win the contest on January 22nd.
Please visit invisiblechildren.com to learn more.
In the past 24 years, over 30,000 children have been abducted in central Africa to serve as soldiers for Joseph Kony, a rebel leader. An additional 2 million people have been displaced in central Africa as a result of the violence.
Since 2003, Invisible Children has used its entrepreneurial spirit to engage millions in teaching and advocating for peace in Uganda. Sounding like a fairytale story in itself, Invisible Children began when three young filmmakers ventured to Africa. They returned with the “rough cut” of their concept for Invisible Children. After initial viewings for their family and friends, Invisible Children reached out to the young spirit of America through their multimedia story. “How can I help?” was the overwhelming response to Invisible Children’s work. And so, in the years since their first movie screening, Invisible Children has gained major individual, community, and governmental support to reveal the story of Uganda’s Invisible Children.
Jenna Ingrassia, the Office Manager at Invisible Children, explains the unique impact that Invisible Children “has had on the youth of western countries. I feel like our generation has been categorized as apathetic and lazy. Through Invisible Children, I have personally witnessed people of all ages becoming active and engaging in something much larger than themselves with their communities.”
Invisible Children sends its message across America with the help of groups of “Roadies” who tour the U.S. to screen the original, raw footage of the effects of the war in Uganda.
One of Invisible Children’s most popular programs is “Schools for Schools,” where students in western countries fundraise to build “sister” schools for children affected by the war in Uganda. This initiative has expanded to educate teachers (both Ugandan and western) to exchange skills and cultural values.
To raise awareness through local and national media outlets, in April 2009, Invisible Children took to the streets of America. Organized groups in major cities around the U.S. showed solidarity with those children abducted in Uganda by staging “The Rescue.” Groups of Invisible Children supporters “abducted themselves” to popular sites in major cities, only deemed “rescued” once a major media outlet recognized their “abduction.”
Jenna wrote that “The Rescue event in Chicago was an amazing experience… When we finally were spontaneously put on Oprah's Friday morning show, I just remember feeling so relieved. Oprah definitely raised the profile of the current situation with the L.R.A., [(The Lord’s Resistance Army) a militant group based in northern Uganda,] and Joseph Kony... she gave it the exposure that it has been lacking for the past 23 years. Check it our here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noq5nGiyaY&feature=related.”
Right now, Invisible Children’s “main focuses are the L.R.A. Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act and our Legacy Tour. We have a meeting with the State Department to discuss the bill and the petition to make sure our representatives recognize the situation in central-east Africa as one that needs immediate attention. The Legacy Tour is a three month long international tour that will include guest appearances by the people who have been featured in our films or a part of our programs from northern Uganda. You can find more info on that here: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMovement/National_Tour”
With the plethora of opportunities that Invisible Children has to offer, it is no wonder they are in second place on Chase Community Giving’s Facebook application to receive 1 million dollars if they win the contest on January 22nd.
Please visit invisiblechildren.com to learn more.
Thanks, Jenna, for teaching us how we too can make the Invisible Children visible!
(Invisible Children is motivated by the unseen war in Northern Uganda, to use the power of stories to change lives around the world.)
For an in-depth look at Joseph Kony and the LRA, see the book, First Kill Your Family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army.
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