Forgiveness is the way forward
Jean Mbokihinie Koumboyo does not have any photographs of his daughter Adeline. In fact, he has not seen her in more than seven years. In 2008, when Adeline was just 12 years old, she was kidnapped by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and was forced to join the rebel group during one of the […]
A Community Takes Charge of its Future in Mboki
Members of the Community Defection Committee (CDC) in Mboki, CAR, which was established by Invisible Children and community partner Vision Development, have been busy lately. On November 29th, they welcomed Guy Issa Parfait, a 19-year-old LRA escapee who had been held captive for over a year. Guy specifically asked Mbororo cattle herders in the area […]
KONY 101 // WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE THE LRA?
We often talk about our defection programs because so many returnees cite our “Come Home” fliers or messages as the reason they chose to leave the bush. But what happens after these people return home? Unfortunately, there is a serious disparity in resources dedicated to the rehabilitation and reintegration of former LRA members. Depending on age, […]
Supporter spotlight // Joshua Causie
Joshua Causie’s story is pretty amazing. Since originally stumbling upon Invisible Children, his journey has taken him through military service in Afghanistan and taught him to live for others. Today, he is one of our biggest supporters. But we’ll let him tell you the rest. // I first heard about Invisible Children at a concert several years […]
Home for the first time in 17 years: Walter’s story
Even over the roar of the car’s engine, Bala Walter could hear women ululating and people cheering. The vehicle came to a stop and he climbed out, accompanied by team members from Invisible Children and World Vision who had played a role in his rehabilitation process. But today was not about celebrating the efforts it took […]
Rehabilitation // The first steps
A number of individuals who recently escaped from the Lord’s Resistance Army are attending counseling sessions at the Children of War Rehabilitation Center, funded by Invisible Children, in Gulu, Uganda. Oroma Christine, the main counselor at the center, has opted for a break in their therapy, deciding that each of the returnees should head back to […]
A new beginning // Ochora Walter
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. Almost 10 years after he was abducted into Joseph Kony’s LRA, Ochora Walter is happy to finally be home. The rebel group forced Walter to fight […]
Welcome home, Opondo
When he was 10 years old, Opondo was abducted by Joseph Kony’s rebel army. After being held captive as a child soldier for 15 years, he finally escaped. He was rehabilitated and is now home with his family. CELEBRATE EVERYTHING. We are dismantling the Lord’s Resistance Army from within by encouraging soldiers like Opondo to […]
Let’s break it down – what are you fundraising for, exactly?
As you fundraise for #zeroLRA this season, we want to make it as easy as possible to explain to others what their money is funding. The programs listed below are the ones that our International Programs Department, in conjunction with our offices and partners on the ground, say are the most effective in facilitating the […]
Breaking down our four-part model: Recovery
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. […]