Every child abducted by Joseph Kony’s rebel army is robbed of his childhood and a normal life — until he escapes. This is the story of a new beginning.
The LRA rebels forcibly broke down the door of Odong Francis’s house in the middle of a January 2000 night, when Francis was 10 years old. That night, Francis and two of his brothers were kidnapped by the LRA.
Over the next 12 years, the rebels poisoned his mind with lies about the Ugandan government while forcing him to fight and kill. After years of being traumatized by constant death, all Francis wanted was a peaceful environment — so he and a friend escaped the LRA. To prepare his escape, Francis wrote a letter to the UPDF (Ugandan military) that was sent to civilians and explained that he wanted to get away.
Today, Francis is happy to be reunited with his family and is actively pursuing a better life. He wants to gain skills training to eventually start his own shop. In the meantime, Francis bought a goat and plans to sustain himself with farming. He has completed emotional and physical treatment through the Children of War Rehabilitation Center (funded by Invisible Children and implemented by World Vision Uganda), but overall Francis is simply happy to be reunited with family members.
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