THE BRACELET CAMPAIGN

The Invisible Children Bracelet Campaign creates economic opportunities for people in Northern Uganda's IDP camps through employment and the facilitation of savings and investment, while evoking compassion and raising money around the world to support war affected children in Northern Uganda.

Finally, a bracelet that comes full circle.

THE PROBLEM:

Although the film focuses primarily on children, the entire area of Northern Uganda has been ravaged by this 20-year-long war. Roughly 95% of the people in Northern Ugandan districts forced to evacuate their homes are now living in camps, earning no monetary income, and living in absolute poverty. One quarter of the children in Northern Uganda, over the age of ten, has lost one or both parents due to life in displacement camps – suffering starvation, disease, and nighttime attacks from the LRA.

THE SOLUTION:

We began with a simple idea: to connect people on opposite ends of the world by offering a product that creates jobs in Uganda, while educating and inspiring those who receive it. The Invisible Children Bracelet Campaign is that dream realized – attempting to mend the disconnect between the African continent and the rest of the world’s ignorance
towards it.

Hundreds of displaced adults suffering in these camps are now employed in our micro-economic Bracelet Campaign. These jobs generate a much-needed income in otherwise unemployable areas of Uganda. Each colored bracelet (eight in total) represents an individual child, and is accompanied by an inspiring short film, told in a style echoing that of the “Invisible Children: Rough Cut.” Each of these extraordinary stories highlights one of the many ways Northern Ugandans have been affected by this unrelenting war. The bracelets are handmade from reed and recycled wire in Uganda, and sold in the United States with the money raised funneling right back into Northern Uganda through the Invisible Children Education Program.

Finally, a bracelet that comes full circle. Wear the bracelet, tell the story, and unite with Invisible Children.

Subscribe to all eight today.

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THE EDUCATION PROGRAM

THE PROBLEM:

An entire generation has never known peace. Tens of thousands of civilians have been mutilated or killed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda for 20 years. Since 1986, the leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony, has abducted and brainwashed more than 20,000 boys and girls to fight as child soldiers in his militia, with roughly 12,000 abductions occurring since 2002. As a result, 250,000 children in all of Northern Uganda currently receive no education; 737 schools (60% of the total) are non-functioning because of the war, leaving the schools that are functioning grossly overcrowded, with 300 students for every one teacher.

THE SOLUTION:

The Visible Child Scholarship Program (VCSP) provides full-ride scholarships and full-time Ugandan mentors for war-affected children. Extensive evaluation in Northern Uganda has shown that secondary education for the neglected youth is one of the region’s greatest needs. VCSP gives scholarships to vulnerable children attending secondary schools across Gulu District. Scholarship criteria are based on a combination of academic performance and need, with special consideration for children who are orphans or heads-of-households. Each child is assigned a mentor—a VCSP-employed community leader whose purpose is to build a personal relationship with the student. Through this relationship, the mentors give academic accountability, provide parental and career-oriented guidance, encourage success, and foster leadership skills for each student in the program. The mentor is what makes this program stand out among other scholarship programs in Uganda. There are currently 568 VCSP scholarship beneficiaries and 18 mentors.

Schoold for Schools
Teacher Exchange Program

BE A HERO

Across the world, students are rallying their entire schools to think of creative fundraising ideas to rebuild schools in Northern Uganda. Go online daily to see the results of your fundraising, connect with other schools, and earn a trip to Uganda to help in the rebuilding of your partner school.

The money you raise will provide everything from essentials like water, books, and teachers to new classrooms and technology.

Visit InvisibleChildren.com on February 5th and join Schools for Schools.

Sign-Up Now!

TEACHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM

This summer we are launching a new program under the Schools for Schools umbrella - allowing educators to volunteer in Uganda for a teacher-training program. This program was created to enhance present educational models, and create long-term learning opportunities for both teachers and students. Invisible Children intends to generate collaboration between teachers from around the world, with the intent of bringing classrooms to a competitive standard from the inside out.
Download application packet below, and find out more details.

EXPAND YOUR CLASSROOM’S HORIZONS

An average high school student will receive three paragraphs of information on Africa in his or her entire 4 years of schooling. Americans make decisions that affect the rest of the world, while knowing little about the rest of the world. The time has come for change. It is up to you to start exposing your classroom to broader frontiers, let’s start with Uganda.

We have developed a free, downloadable curriculum available for anyone wanting to further illuminate the “dark continent” of Africa. The curriculum includes three weeks worth of lessons that can be used independently, or as three one-week units. We believe our curriculum, when coupled with the film, will aid teachers’ efforts in creating a generation of life-long, globally aware learners.

Teachers, Help Now!

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