Today in school the people representing Invisible Children came to speak to us. This organization raises awareness for the millions of people fighting for their lives in the Uganda genocide that is happening this very instant. They explained how the war in North Uganda started, and how children are being captured, killed, or forced to fight in an army killing not only strangers, but family members whom they love. This is a tragedy of which no one is paying much attention to, however, I believe that we all must recognize the catastrophy that is taking place before our very eyes.
They showed us a video today of a brother and sister who visited Uganda, met with the 'invisible' children who live there, and experienced first-hand how horrible the lives of those who suffer in Africa are. This video, to me, is the epitome of an effective video. It started out by introducing the sister who is a hair stylist in L.A. They had montages of photos contianing her and her husband, and what her job entails. This allows the viewer to make a personal connection with the documenter, and we as High School students can reflect on how she is an average person just like us.
When they arrived in Uganda, the film quickly flashed through the state of the country, and how dilapitated everything appeared. We then met a child who's life has been ruined by the Uganda genocide, but still fights onward in the hopes of pursuing her dreams. This young girl, Roseline,
captured my heart, as well as those who sat around me. Her mother was killed during the war, and she is unfortunately HIV possitive which was genetically passed onto her through her mother. She lives in terror that she will be kidnapped, and in constantly worries that she will be unable to obtain the next batch of medicine for her treatment. One in five HIV possitive patients are being treated in Africa; Roseline's life is dependent upon a pill that is uncertain to be within her grasp the following month.
However, Roseline was singing in the video. She was laughing, playing, and sharing her ambition to become a doctor should she live that long. It amazes me how her outlook on life can still be so incredibly possitive and how much strength she demonstrates.
The close-ups on Roseline's face, the music that played in the background, the sometimes shaky picture due to te fact that it was a documentary, and the montages of different images put together created an unbelievable short film. It was captivating, and really portrayed the message that there are people who are desperately in need of our help. They are experience an inordinately large amount of pain, more than any of us will ever experience in a life time. The film was effective in showing the pain that these kids go through, and the fear that haunts every day.
As the video ended, I looked around the room. There were seldom dry eyes in the entire auditorium. I knew that the video had done what it intended to do; make us care about people who we have never met.