In northern Uganda, a war led by abducted child soldiers has been taking place for 17 years. They are kidnapped at night from remote African villages and forced into a violent and militaristic lifestyle by rebel factions, becoming part of a “kid military.” They are targeted at the ages of 8 to 14, making them the best candidates to be forced into an undesired lifestyle of violence. Many young girls end up raped or as rebel wives. As a result, these children hide away in major towns, hiking from their remote villages a few miles a day, sleeping together cramped like sardines in various hospitals and churches where they cannot be abducted. Proper education and nutrition are, of course, far beyond the expectations of anyone. Millions have died in the past two decades as a result of this war, and no one in the United States really knows about this. Please become informed about this, so it will eventually become a priority of our government.
If you wish to see an amazing video regarding this subject that will help inform you, go to invisiblechildren.com.
Eran Tal
Electrical engineering graduate