Find Out About: Invisible Children
06-22-2007
by Kevan Breitinger

Invisible Children

When Jason Russell traveled to Africa in 2003 after graduating from USC’s School of Cinema and Television, he thought he might find a story. An earlier trip in 2000 had peaked his interest, so he convinced fellow film student Bobby Bailey, 23, and Laren Poole, 22 to join him for what he thought would be a brief but uneventful film-making adventure. The three guys bought a camera on eBay, did some research, got their shots and headed for Africa in March of 2003, with no sponsorship, few contacts and no plan other than to find a story and film it. Using meager savings and their parents' credit cards, they wandered from to , fell ill with scabies and malaria, and suffered 130-degree heat, before finally becoming stranded in . Which is where the real adventure began.

It was in that they discovered the terrified children of the north. Since 1986, more than 40,000 children as young as 5, many orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, have been abducted from schools, homes and villages by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group fighting a 20-year guerilla war against the government. Abduction is the LRA’s main method of “recruitment,” and 90% of their troops are children. According to the UN, these children have been turned into fighters, porters and sex slaves, while any who resisted were brutalized or killed.

To protect themselves from capture at night, the children hid wherever they could. Jason and friends, realizing they had found their mission, began the process of befriending them and learning their stories. Jason also interviewed government officials, learned about the mysterious origins of the war and the rebel groups fighting it and became determined to expose the tragedy to the world. He poured his outrage and grief into the documentary “Invisible Children: Rough Cut,” revealing the horrific effects of this war on a generation of lost children. His initial screening of the film for friends and family in 2004 soon took on a life of its own, eventually showing up on CNN, Oprah, and the National Geographic Channel, among other places. Its youthful perspective and MTV-flavored orientation allowed viewers to see the tragedy through young eyes, and its power was both undeniable and immediate, quickly birthing a powerful new movement, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc.

The New Movement

This inspiring new movement seeks to empower individuals to become an active part of the story, to “be the change they wish to see in the world,” and it is having a galvanizing effect on the millennial generation especially. In Russell’s hometown of San Diego, high school viewers have raised and given thousands in support of Invisible Children. One girl was so moved she sold her horse to give $3,000, while another student raised $20,000 between selling T-shirts, African crafts and baked goods at school and at a movie screening at her church. A recent Miss California winner saw the film and changed her career plans in order to move to and care for its orphans. Jason believes these young adults are the ones that will change Ugandan history, and he believes Invisible Children’s practical arm of ministry, the Mission, can serve as an instrument of empowerment for all generations.

The Mission

Invisible Children’s Mission hit the ground running with resources, skills, funds, and laborers, providing education, health care, safety, employment, and support for those suffering in Northern Uganda. The education program, Schools for Schools, builds partnerships between US schools and Northern Ugandan schools. More than 737 of the country’s schools are non-functioning (60% of the total), but this program mobilizes US students to raise funds that will go toward textbooks, labs, teacher trainings, and dormitories, among other things. Global connections are made through both interactive web communities and travel opportunities, enriching student’s lives on both sides of the globe.

Currently, 2 million Ugandans live in displacement camps on less than a dollar a day. The Bracelet Campaign is a micro-economic program creating jobs for those in the Internally Displaced People (IDP) Camps. Eight different colored bracelets are made for sales, each accompanied by a film-short telling an invisible child’s story. A $60 donation covers the cost of material, labor and packaging for 15 bracelets, which then raise $300 and sponsor one child for one trimester in the Education Program.

More than 250,000 North Ugandan children receive no education at all, clearly their greatest need. The Invisible Children Education Program (ICEP) seeks out those with the highest leadership potential through extensive screening, and invests in their high school and college education, from food, to uniforms, to housing, school supplies, haircuts, and mentors. Ugandan mentors serve 40-50 students, many of whom bear horrific battle scars. 12% are formerly abducted soldiers, 80% are full or partial orphans, 26% of them from HIV/AIDS. ICEP attempts to equip this generation to take responsibility for their own future and that of their country, serving 450 students in the fall semester of 2006. The numbers of students empowered through education in 2007 is expected to rise dramatically.

Invisible Children Outreaches

During the spring of 2006, 7 RVs traveled the , bringing the “Invisible Children: Rough Cut” film to over 700 venues. This year, more than 13 World Tour 2007 teams will go out to cover more ground, reach more people, and raise more funds, furthering advocacy and awareness by introducing international events like Global Night Commute.

On April 29^th, 2006, more than 80,000 people spent the night on the sidewalks of 130 cities nationwide on behalf of the invisible children forced into similar choices nightly to avoid solider abduction. The Global Night Commute, and the thousands of letters written that night to government leaders, was one of our country’s biggest demonstrations of support for Africa, showing a nation its capacity to influence the world. The government created legislation to bring about Northern Ugandan stability and two months later, the LRA and the Ugandan government finally began to engage in peace talks, agreeing to a ceasefire and temporary truce. Check www.ugandacan.org for current status reports.

“Invisible Children: Final Cut,” the soon to be released feature-length film, tells the full story of Jason Russell’s life-changing encounter with the Invisible Children and their national suffering, giving Northern Uganda the strong international media platform it needs.

Invisible Children Support and Donations

It is the belief of Invisible Children that their mission is twofold: it is as important to change the perceptions of westerners as it is to change the living conditions of the suffering Ugandans. This is where Jason Russell’s movies are so effective; in a media-driven culture like , there is no more powerful medium of influence. So roughly half of all funds raised remain in the to inspire and educate citizens to invest in the lives of those less fortunate. Donations are maximized through Invisible Children’s revenue generating programs, and then half go to the Ugandan programs that have been described in this article.

Many Christian artists have thrown their support behind Invisible Children, wanting to see their own influence be used to advance the vital work of this ministry. Josh Zegan, guitarist for Credential Recordings band Dizmas, sees Invisible Children as “one of few ministries out there loving God and loving people for the right reasons. It is a hard thing to accomplish these days, but when achieved, it can become contagious.” This is exactly the hope of Jason Russell, that his vision to help these children caught up in the evil political machinations of their country would expand into the hearts of a generation.

Relient K guitarist Jon Schneck was touched in just that way after his wife showed him “Invisible Children: Rough Cut.” He says he “immediately wanted to get involved,” and even more so after meeting some of the people involved. “I love the passion that the people working on the project have.  I love the fact that there is so much time spent in Africa working so closely with the kids.  Everyone I have met that is working with the organization has been genuine and amazing.”

“I think that my blind eye has been removed due to this organization.  This is the first group of people that has been able to affect me, and so many others, in such a personal way.  I have seen commercials for these types of groups my whole life, and while I’m sure they’re all great in their own way, Invisible Children has just been able to relate to me and so many kids on such a personal level that it is amazing. It just really gets you wanting to be involved.  I will continue to do as much as I am able to help out this organization.” Jon laughingly shares how he has brought his commitment down to a nitty-gritty personal level. “I wear an Invisible Children shirt on stage at just about every show… although it starts to smell after about the 3rd night.”

We know the heart of God is for the poor and oppressed, and the Bible makes Christ’s open affection for the children quite clear as well. If you’d like to follow His lead in caring for the children suffering in , Invisible Children makes it very easy to donate on their website. Their donation page (https://secure.invisiblechildren.com/donate/) offers not just access to easy donation routes, but also contains a link to the organization’s annual report and financial statements, as well as a link to watch the video. And you don’t even have to wear a smelly T-shirt.