During the 1990s, a rebel group known
as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) perpetrated extreme violence in
Uganda. They abducted more than 36,000 people, mostly children, and
forced them to commit terrible atrocities against other children and
their own families and communities. The girls were used
as sex slaves for the older officers in the LRA. These are the children of war, each of whom has lost their innocence to the perversions of violence, greed, and lust.
Fortunately, some of these children have escaped captivity or have been rescued. Still, they face many challenges as they struggle to readjust to civilian life. Medical and psychological problems are numerous because of the physical wounds they have incurred and the atrocities they have seen and committed. Some girls who have been raped return with children of their own that need to be cared for; others require HIV/AIDS education and treatment. Moreover, they typically have yet to finish their schooling and also have little to no vocational skills. They even face rejection from their families and communities because of the atrocities they were forced to commit.
The Children of War Program seeks to address these obstacles and circumstances in a way
that will give individual children the attention required to assess
their specific needs. World Vision currently runs several Children
of War Centers in Northern Uganda for the purpose of rehabilitating
these children and reintegrating them into the community. Medical and
psychological attention, formal education, vocational training, and
life skills are offered for children, as they get ready to re-enter life in civilian
communities. 100% of all proceeds raised by the 5K race and benefit concert will go directly to support
the continued work being done at the Centers for some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
For more information about the crisis in Northern Uganda, please visit World Vision's website.
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