Blog Updates and inspiration

Every child deserves safety, freedom, and to be with the families who love them. Unfortunately, that is not the reality for many children who are held captive by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). But we are changing that. Together with brave local heroes and partners, we are helping make central African children safer from […]

Clashes between armed groups and attacks on civilians continued to dominate the security landscape in the Mbomou-Uele border region* in Quarter 3 (July–September) 2017. In eastern Central African Republic (CAR), fighting involving ex-Seleka factions, anti-balaka militias, and other armed actors was concentrated in towns such as Bria (Haute Kotto prefecture) and Zemio (Haut Mbomou prefecture), while security improved […]

Obo is a small, very remote community in the southeastern corner of the Central African Republic (CAR). It’s so remote that it’s often referred to as Africa’s “Pole of Inaccessibility” — meaning it’s one of the toughest places on the continent to reach. It’s also where one of our field offices is located and where […]

It’s almost one of our favorite days of the year — #GivingTuesday, a global day for giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Every year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, communities and organizations from all over the world come together for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. It’s a day that […]

A few weeks ago, our team in the Central African Republic (CAR) joined with community members from the southeastern towns of Obo and Mboki to celebrate the graduation of 16 newly trained medical officers — all of whom have been directly impacted by armed group violence. It was an exciting day for the trainees, who have […]

Since 2012, Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader, Joseph Kony, has relied on illegal ivory poaching to fund continued violence in central Africa. Based on community reports collected through our Early Warning Radio Network and countless interviews with former LRA fighters, we know that Kony frequently orders LRA commanders to poach elephants in Garamba National Park […]

Sectarian tensions steadily escalated in eastern Central African Republic (CAR) in the first six months of 2017. In June, violence spread from Haut Kotto and Mbomou prefectures into the communities of Zemio and Mboki in neighboring Haut Mbomou prefecture. Attacks by ex-Seleka, anti-balaka, and armed Peuhl have killed at least 346 civilians in the three prefectures since January […]

On July 11, 2010, 74 people were killed in a series of terrorist bombings in Kampala, Uganda.  One of those killed was an American named Nate Henn. He was our friend. Before his death, Nate had dedicated almost two years of his life as a volunteer roadie with Invisible Children. In the spring of 2010, Nate led a […]

A Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) group crossed the border from Central African Republic (CAR) into northern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in May 2017, abducting at least 23 people in a series of attacks on civilians en route to Garamba National Park. In eastern CAR, violence by armed groups against civilians escalated dramatically in May, with ex-Seleka […]

Earlier this week, the United Nations (UN) Security Council met to discuss MINUSCA, the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), as well as the UN office responsible for coordinating regional responses to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) crisis. Much of the Council’s conversations centered around eastern CAR, where communities have experienced an […]