Blog Updates and inspiration

Invisible Children doesn’t stop at documenting atrocities or activating youth or protecting civilians or rehabilitating post-conflict communities. We do it all. And we do it through a four-part model that focuses exclusively on the LRA conflict, addressing it in its entirety: immediate needs and long-term effects. One of the four parts of the comprehensive model is Recovery. […]

Emma Williamson and Carolyn Oliver, through their dedication and conviction, are proving that well being on a global scale begins with the individual. Emma was inspired by our mission and wanted to get the word out. While still in high school, she got in touch with us to host a screening and our Roadies traveled […]

Based on a 2012 survey, more than half of the seamstresses in our Gulu-based social enterprise were operating Income Generating Activities (IGAs)–and 81.8% expressed interest in starting their own. To learn more about how, the ladies stepped away from their sewing machines last week for a field trip. Local facilitators with business skills training experience […]

Milka’s home is in the village over an hour from the town center of Gulu. The land is green and hilly, with livestock grazing along the side of the rust red road. Milka remembers enjoying her childhood playing outside and swimming with her friends in a river near her home. Then the Lord’s Resistance Army […]

It was not a typical afternoon at Mend. Out in the yard, the women were somersaulting and dancing around on colorful mats, full of nervous energy. It was their very first yoga lesson. Lolly Berger, of Pachamama’s Daughters Yoga, led them through the poses while Lapat Evelyn, the Mend social worker, translated her directions into […]

We love supporting a good cause, and getting some exercise in the process. Last Sunday staff and beneficiaries of Invisible Children Uganda took to the streets of Gulu for the Northern Uganda Marathon fundraiser for maternal health. Eight staff and 19 of the Mend seamstresses came to run the 10k, our own Laker Pamela taking […]

When Jason, Bobby, and Laren met Jolly Okot-Andruville on their initial trip to Uganda, I think it’s safe to say that none of them knew the impact that she would have on the vision of Invisible Children. Jolly, our Regional Ambassador to East and central Africa, has been instrumental in the identity of the organization, especially in […]

“We don’t want [the U.S.] to bring us aid. We want to produce, and they buy,” the Senior Presidential Advisor on AGOA and Trade Susan K. Muhwezi said during a visit to Invisible Children’s social enterprise – Mend – in Gulu last week. Emphasizing the value of trade over aid in developing countries, Muhwezi encouraged […]

For Valentine’s Day, the Mend seamstresses were given messages of appreciation from customers who bought their bags. When you purchase a bag from Mend, you can register it on the website and send a personal message to the woman who made your bag. Mend is a social enterprise geared toward improving the quality of life […]

At around 10AM, the sewing machines come to a stop and the ladies of Mend gather outside to take tea, share stories, and even do some hair styling. Mend improves the quality of life for women in Gulu, Uganda, who were directly affected by the LRA conflict. This social enterprise produces high-quality handbags while providing […]