Invisible Children RSO to Raise $32,000
This year the Invisible Children’s club at the UA has a goal to raise $32,000 for the “Protection Plan” by December.
Customers purchase cupcakes at the bake sale held to support the Invisible Children. The bake sale was held outside the Union from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Sept. 20. (Photo by Mary McKay)
The Protection Plan focuses on raising money for a rehabilitation center in the Congo and expand Early Warning Radio Network, giving communities the chance to receive warnings of LRA activity and alert local security forces.
The Invisible Children registered student organization is a movement seeking to end conflict in Uganda and stop the abduction of children for use as soldiers.
The RSO officers’ goal is to end the twenty-five year war in Central Africa. The war began in Uganda but has moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Southern Sudan, and Central African Republic. The rebel army, Lords Resistance Army, is led by a man named Joseph Kony who lost public support so now primarily forces children to be soldiers in order to keep its rank full.
“The army commits terrible crimes against humanity such as rape, torture, mutilations and murder, all so that they can keep the communities in fear and retain their power,” said Chirsty Harrington, president of the Invisible Children RSO.
US government officials have been working with the program to figure out the best way for America to help. They also provide jobs for many people in Uganda as well as help support education for students and rehabilitation for escaped LRA soldiers.
“After working with Invisible Children for a year, I have seen firsthand how effective students efforts are in fundraising for our initiatives. Its crucial and it has life saving effects in Central Africa,” said Bailey Cox, freshman international relations major.
“I have been involved with Invisible Children for the past few years and have been to Africa three different times, so my heart is broken and the cause is real and tangible to me. I have experienced much sorrow but at the same times saw high school students look passed their own selfishness and start to give themselves for the betterment of humanity” said Chris Tuttle, a freshmen creative writing major and officer of the club.
Bailey Cox saw the impact that this movement had on her life and realized that her abilities ran much deeper and that she could be a part of an effecting change, therefore wanting to pass it along to students on a much larger scale, she said.
“Thirty-two thousand dollars is a lot of money, but we figured out that if every student at the UA donated one dollar and 50 cents to our club than we can reach this goal,” Tuttle said.
The organizers and officers Olivia Merrit, Flannery Wasson, Emily Coats and Chris Tuttle, are raising awareness inside and outside campus for students to donate their time and money.
“A community of committed individuals is unshakable, that’s why Invisible Children has been so successful at raising the profile of this conflict, bringing all the attention that it desperately deserves,” Cox said.
The Invisible Children club meets every other Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Union, room 513 and is open to everyone. The next meeting will be held Sept. 27th. For more information email S4S@uark.edu.
