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More than 150 students gathered Tuesday night in the John R. Roach Center auditorium to watch a film and listen to a personal account of the violence child soldiers are subjected to in northern Uganda.
Students were able to gain an understanding of the violence occurring in Uganda as well as the Invisible Children organization’s role in stopping child soldier training and the massacre of innocent citizens.
A personal account
Nineteen-year-old Asimwe Proscovia, who grew up in war-torn Uganda, spoke at the event. She was forced from her home to avoid being abducted or killed by the Lord’s Resistance Army. The Invisible Children mentor program, consisting of northern Ugandan citizens employed by the organization, reaches out to these children affected by the war.
Proscovia said her mentor from the program, whom she described as “a person who looks after me, a person who cares about me, and a person who guides me through difficulties,” helped her overcome the dangerous challenges of being a young woman in northern Uganda.
Invisible Children’s efforts helped pay for Proscovia’s education, and she said the scholarship program helped her realize her potential.
“That’s how I realized at least I have a future, at least I have a vision and I’ll be somebody,” she said.
About 99 percent of the female population and 93 percent of the male population in northern Uganda do not graduate from high school. These statistics inspired Proscovia to use education to help those around her.
“I want to work for those children that never had access to education, especially the child mothers who were abducted,” she said.
LRA’s brutality
The presentation included “The Rescue of Joseph Kony’s Child Soldiers,” a film highlighting the current situation in northern Uganda. Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole and Jason Russell, the filmmakers and founders of Invisible Children, produced the film.
The film described Kony’s role as leader of the LRA in the 23-year-long war continuing in Uganda. Under Kony’s rule, the LRA has abducted more than 30,000 children and massacred more than 15,000 citizens. It is estimated that children make up about 90 percent of the LRA.
Showing the St. Thomas community cares
“I’m really proud [of the turnout]. It just shows that the St. Thomas community cares, people are here and it is a good cause,” said Erin O’Flaherty, senior co-chair of St. Thomas’ Invisible Children club. “We send out a lot of e-mails to teachers and stuff, and their response by giving extra credit and things like that just shows we are a community together.”
Senior Kaitlin Rattigan said the turnout made her proud to be at St. Thomas.
“I think we have this huge stigma of being a campus that doesn’t care about social justice issues like this and to that stigma I want to say, ‘Look at tonight. Look at how many people are here,’” she said. “I’m overwhelmed, and I’m proud to call myself a Tommie tonight.”
Students, such as freshman Rita Kovtun, said they were inspired by the filmmakers, Proscovia’s personal account and the Invisible Children club on campus, and now want to be more involved.
“I liked that they had Proscovia come and talk about her experience,” Kovtun said. “I thought it was cool to get a first-person perspective.”
Rebecca Omastiak can be reached at omas5009@stthomas.edu.