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Are we Invisible?

Jul 21

Written by:
7/21/2010 3:21 PM

Imagine you are Oprah and you are in your studios getting your make up done and getting ready for your show, then your assistant comes running in and tells you that there are people standing with placards outside the studio and that they have been there since 4am. What’s their cause? Save the invisible!...

When I first heard that cause, I was rolling on the floor with laughter (in facebook language, gpy), “These people can’t be serious, there are people who are starving, dying and some are being raped and they have the guts to ask Oprah to save Invisible children?!

The poor American backpacker who was telling the story to us, sipped on his ice cold (proudly brewed in South Africa) beer and waited patiently for me and really tipsy friends to stop laughing at him. What can after was something that none of us were prepared for. The rugged American who resembled one of those portraits of Jesus; long golden hair, blue eyes, a beard, gentle smile and humbly dressed in his baggies, hanging t-shirt and sandals, told us about the child soldiers in Uganda who were the reason why they camped outside of Oprah’s studio in the early hours of the morning. In the a nutshell, here is the story;

In 2003, three filmmakers (Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole) travelled to Africa. They produced a documentary that revolves around Africa's longest running war, where children have become weapons. Rebel armies, known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), have been abducting children and using them as troops while they wage war against the Ugandan government. This originally caused the children to night commute, or walk miles nightly to hide away from these troops. It is estimated that 90% of the LRA is abducted children. The film tells their story.

I don’t know about you but that story sent shivers down my spine and what’s more, it made me feel embarrassed that I had no idea that there was a war in Uganda and to have someone from another continent telling me about my continent, put me to shame. This story also got me thinking; there is a group of Americans somewhere out there who are willing to sit through the freezing cold to build awareness about the war going on in this continent and in the meantime in our news there are reports of a possible outbreak of xenophobic attacks. http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Several-hurt-in-xenophobic-attacks-20100720 Twisted neh? Someone with less of a connection to our continent has a cause, while we seem to be invisible.

Remember Jimmy Jump? We were introduced to him at the 2010 World Cup final when he invaded the soccer pitch and tried to place a beanie on the world cup trophy read more about him, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Jump.

After hearing about The Invisible Children and learning about Jimmy Jump, what do you think it would take for us to become visible?

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Tags: Uganda

Categories: News

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1 comment(s) so far...

Re: Are we Invisible?

nam bake bazama ngavele ngaziba ngoba iwas aware of it kukhona abam scamer ngakithi waluza imali eningi so iw advice 2jst ignore them

By mteh on 7/23/2010 11:57 AM

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By GUGU on: Monday, September 19, 2011

Re: A Zarlings WIRELESS HOOK UP EXPERIENCE

Thandoir yes if it was meant to be it will be , i went to Prison on Saturday and i looked at Andile , holding his hands and i saw a man whu doeznt belong to be there . A man with dreams , a man with love and waiting to be loved and be givin a 2nd chance . He kept on asking me if i will realy wait for him ? you can even see that i am the only thing that he talk about in de . i saw other inmates the way they were looking at me . Zarling yes i am becoming a poet and i dont know why kuyazifikela nje kuthi angibhale sumting .

By Ncamisile on: Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Re: A Zarlings WIRELESS HOOK UP EXPERIENCE

Hey Ncami, you have become quite a poet of late! even your FB updates are poetic, Zarling....Thandoir, love is blind my zarling...you don't know where it could be lurking :-))

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By ZooKey on: Monday, September 05, 2011

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YOH
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By Thandoir aka Ndlovukazi on: Wednesday, August 31, 2011