In June, we broke the news that an LRA group released 12 women and children captives to a community member in DR Congo. This LRA group also sent along a message with the community member that they would release even more women and children, but only if they heard news over the local FM radio station that the 12 were received peacefully and taken care of.
We asked for your support so we could create and broadcast ‘Come Home’ FM radio messages specifically for this this LRA group, with news that the women and children were alive and well. Without skipping a beat, you stepped up and raised $5,000 in less than a week! Because of you, our Invisible Children team was able to rapidly create ‘Come Home’ messages that were immediately broadcast by local FM radio partners, and we were able to help care for the 12 women and children as they prepared for the journey home.
We’re happy to report that, today, almost all of the 12 women and children released in June have been welcomed back home to their families. Our hearts are all kinds of warm and fuzzy from the stories about their reunions with their families. And because your generosity helped make all of this possible, we couldn’t help but pass along one of our favorite reunion stories about a woman named Agnes, her daughter, and two children whose father is an LRA commander still in the bush.
Agnes (far right), with the children who were released from LRA captivity with her (center).
When Agnes and her daughter were released along with ten others in June, the commander of her LRA group sent two of his own children with her, entrusting Agnes to make sure they were well cared for and brought to his family in northern Uganda. Before even returning to her own family, Agnes made sure to travel with the LRA commander’s children to the home of his parents (their grandparents). The children were joyfully welcomed by the family and community, where they continued to be cared for with brighter futures.
Agnes (foreground), at the welcome ceremony for the two children belonging to an LRA commander who were released from captivity with her.
Only after ensuring that the children in her care were safely home with their new family, Agnes and her own young daughter returned home themselves, where they, too, were welcomed with open arms by her family and participated in a traditional cleansing ceremony and dance.
Community members dancing to celebrate Agnes’ return from LRA captivity.
Community members performing a cleansing ceremony to welcome Agnes and her daughter.
After reuniting with her family, we worked with Agnes to record a message to the LRA commander and other fighters still in the bush, informing them that she and the children had safely made it to their respective families in Uganda. She also encouraged the LRA to release more captives. Thanks to your support, our Invisible Children team and community partners are now broadcasting these messages across areas of DRC and CAR where LRA groups are active.
‘Come Home’ radio messages like the one Agnes recorded with our team are crucial to bringing more LRA captives home, ending the LRA’s violence, and helping families and communities heal. Help us continue to record and broadcast these messages and reunite families by joining us as a monthly donor today.
Agnes’ daughter and the two children released from captivity with them.
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