Students at North Farmington High School will hold a symbolic walk tomorrow, Monday, May 22, to help the children of Uganda.
"I hope that this will be a strong bonding event for my school and all of those who participate," said Nicole Rujan, the freshman organizer.
Every night, children in Uganda walk from their villages to a town center to keep from being murdered, raped, kidnapped or forced to children's armies by gangs of rebels.
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To set the stage, the film, The Invisible Children of Uganda, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at North Farmington.
The walk begins immediately after and proceeds south on Farmington Road to the Walter E. Sundquist pavilion in downtown Farmington.
Buses will pick up the students at that point. Event organizers said the walk will help students transition to next year's interdisciplinary theme called "Humanity in Crisis: Genocide."
This year,
students focused on the events of the 1960s.
Rujan explained the problem in northern Uganda.
There is a war going on where parents are beaten, humiliated, shot, speared, bludgeoned, and in general are mutilated, she said.
Their children, ages 5-16 are recruited into the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group trying to overthrow the Ugandan government, since about 1990.
"They have kidnapped over 20,000 children since then," Rujan said. "The children are brought into the desert and for several weeks learn nothing but how to kill. Crying is not acceptable. The rebels tell the children that they will be shot if they try to run away."
Many children would rather stay in the army rather than risk being shot. Girls are raped and are forced to become the rebels' "wives," Rujan said.
These people try as hard as possible to avoid the rebels.
"Children, many without parents, will walk for miles, just to sleep in a safe place," Rujan
said. "These children will huddle together in massive groups and walk together until they find a large building, such as a warehouse, to sleep in."
People know of the war in Iraq and sweatshops in Asia, but comparatively, very few know about these children in Uganda, the "Invisible Children," she said.
Fellow students like Katya Bachrouche, a junior at North Farmington High School, will also walk.
"I took an International Affairs class which raised my awareness," said Bachrouche.
To donate money to the Ugandan cause, call the school at (248) 785-2005.
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Originally published May 21, 2006
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