It started with three college students, a video camera, and a trip to the Sudan. They ended up in northern Uganda and were introduced to the "night commuters". Every night thousands of children walk from villages into the nearest city looking for safety. Why are they not safe sleeping in their own homes? Since 1988 members of the Lord's Resistance Army have been fighting against the government for unclear reasons. Support is not strong and there are not enough adults willing to fight, so children are kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers. The students interviewed walkers and former soldiers about their tragic experiences and fears. Once they heard the stories, the students knew they must act and turned the footage into the film "Invisible Children".
To get the word out, they bought an RV and toured the country showing the film at most major universities. People were inspired to buy the CD to show their friends and organize showings at churches and coffee shops. The heartbreaking true experiences the children in Uganda face should not be endured by any child on earth. Knowing how people would want to help, the filmmakers were ready with a plan of action. Donations fund a program for children to attend school and a sustainable bracelet business is well underway. Still, it's not enough and most major media outlets ignored this issue. The Global Night Commute was born.
Thousands of supporters agreed to sleep in their downtowns on April 29, 2006. Volunteers worked in 100's of cities to organize and publicize the events. So many emailed and phoned Oprah that the filmmakers appeared on her program days before the commute. My friends and I walked to our downtown sporting buttons and stickers on our sleeping bags. Drivers and diners looked confused to see many people with gear streaming into Old Town. We joined about 400 others that bedded down for the night on the bricks of the pedestrian mall, writing letters to politicians and drawings for kids in Uganda. Being a busy Saturday night surrounded by bars, we explained to many drunk inquirers what we were doing until our voices were hoarse. Around 6am we woke for a group photo and packed up to walk home. Sadly, the local paper ignored our emails and did not cover the commute. The university paper showed up and coverage was strong for other cities. One of the "stars" of the film, Jacob, attended the commute in San Diego with the filmmakers and was brought to tears by the sight of over 2,000 people in unity with his people. Jacob is now attending school thanks to donations. This is just the beginning. Ongoing support and awareness is still needed. The simplest way to help, that doesn't cost a cent, is by searching the Internet through www.goodsearch.com. Enter your charity of choice, surf like normal, and one penny is donated. Check out www.invisiblechildren.com to see the whole story and see how you are inspired to act.