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Do you know where Uganda is on a map? Have you heard of the LRA? Do you know who Rosetta is? Well...Uganda is a small East African country...LRA stands for the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group led by a former altar boy who abducts children to turn them into child warriors...and Rosetta, she is simply a 17 yr old from La Crescenta High who's never been to Africa.....so what do all these things share in common?? Rosetta is committed to saving as many Ugandan children as possible, you see, as we speak, everyday for the past 20 years the LRA has virtually hunted down children in northern Uganda as young as 5 yrs old...rebel leaders barge into their villages, rape the women and even little girls, murder anyone who gets in their way, and then force little boys to slaughter their parents with their own hands. It's hard to forget the stories I heard from LRA refugees who after they are forced to kill their parents with a machete, were told in some cases to eat part of their remains as part of their indoctrination into their new life as a warrior with the LRA. It is sickening to hear, to utter...but friends, this is what life has been like for almost 20 yrs in northern Uganda and STILL, so many of us don't even know what or where is Uganda! Hey, I was there...before travelling there in Sept. of 2005, I also was ignorant to this crisis. And Rosetta is soo cool in my book, because at age 17 she has done her own research about Uganda and the kids...and get this, she started her own school club called "Save Uganda" to raise money for the kids who manage to escape and need money for food and rehabilitation from years of physical and mental trauma. I am so humbled! Finally, I challenge you to spread the word, everybody needs to know about these "Invisible Children"..which if you get a chance you should also check out, a great documentary on the crisis shot and produced by unsuspecting high school students who ventured off into Africa clueless of the plight of these Ugandan children and their families. In case you missed the story on Rosetta and her mission to make a difference, check out the story here...I know the facts are brutal to even listen to, but it is a reality for thousands of LRA child warriors.

Here you see a picture of one shelter in northern Uganda where little ones walk to and from their villages for safety, hoping to avoid being kidnapped or murdered by LRA rebels. Don't be fooled by my smile, it was soo painful to be there...these children are all alone...sleeping on dirty rags as a "mattress" on the concrete...no electricity....no food....and the stench inside, so pungent its hard to breathe...amongst it all look at their little faces, some are still smiling...they are so precious and will always remain in my heart!

Here are huts where some of the "luckier" families live...inside there is absolutely nothing... this is what I call surviving...

They may already have died.. we met these beautiful women of northern Uganda dying of Aids at a Catholic Relief Services hospice..they were making beaded bracelets to help raise funds to keep the facility open...

This ad really boggles my mind...talk about another world...can you imagine having to be on the look out for land mines? We sure take a lot for granted...

There is soo much more...but I hope you are inspired to make a difference whether its sending money to a non-profit, or simply talking to your neighbor about this...we all can make a difference.

If you have any similar experiences I would love to hear from you and see your pictures!! Thanks!

Elizabeth_Espinosa's Blog

Invisible Children...

Elizabeth_Espinosa

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