Your Stories

Thoughts:
inspiring, moving.

Inspiration:
my teachers and friends

Tell People:
I want to help in any way possible and I want to also go to different countries and help out in that way

Story:
When i saw the movie, it brought me to tears and i want to do anything possible to help. it made me think about what i want to in life. i had it all planned out but now I'm not so sure.

Thoughts:
What can I say? Only that this film has made me appreciate what i have and to take action in helping in which ever way i can.

Inspiration:
The four Boys

Tell People:
TAKE ACTION

Story:
I was in my school auditorium when I watched the movie. I became speechless as soon as the movie began. I cried along with those children. I could not hold back tears. I sat there, wondering what could possibly be the cause of no one taking action, how can people ignore this tragedy. I cant possibly imagine why something was not done earlier. But now, the word is out and I can do something about it. I will not sit back and let this be a "maybe some other time" thing. Spreading the word and taking action, thats what Im doing. This movie has an impact on me that no other thing ever had. I may not know how much those chirldren suffer, but i know that they are human like me, flesh and bone, and none of them deserve to have their lives taken away from them. I want to help theese children. I WILL help them.

Thoughts:
I think that the documentary is extremely moving and inspiring. It puts things into perspective and makes you want to do something for the people who seem to be ignored.

Inspiration:
I resrearched it online and saw that there was a screening at my church. I went to it to see if I could get an interview with one of the "roadies" and I actually did- his name was Dustin Namirr. He gave me GREAT information and he even gave me a free DVD to show to my classes, which helped a lot since Administration wouldnt show the film.

Tell People:
GET INVOLVED!!!! Just researching for the article got me involved, but everytime I did something, I wanted to do something more. Getting involved is the best thing that can be done because the people in Uganda NEED all the help they can get!!

Story:
I heard about Invisible Children through the Taste of Chaos website and decided to research about it some more. I'm the Opinion Editor for the journalism class at Olympic High School and I decided that it would make an excellent story. So, I researched it and tried to find a way to start a schools for schools foundation here. Unfortunately, the administration didn't see the documentary fit to show in the forum or at an assembly so instead, I published the page long article in the paper and began showing the documentary to every class I possibly could. Everyone who saw it was extremely affected and moved. My editor-in-chief and I have even started fundraising for Invisible Children by selling bracelets, etc. It has been a great experience for me and now I am promoting Displace Me and I plan on attending that as well. My article is pasted below... An 18 year old girl is raped, a 15 year old boy is blinded from gunshot wounds, three young boys lose their best friend while another loses his older brother. These horror stories are all reality in Uganda, a war zone for the past 20 years. Three young men, Jason Russel, Laren Poole and Bobby Bailey traveled to Uganda in search of an inspiring story to film. They had no idea what they were looking for or what they would find. They had fallen upon a conflict that has been ignored for years, a conflict between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA is a rebel army led by Joseph Kony. Their goal is to recruit and/or kill as many people as until the government hears their message and adopts a theocracy, a religiously based government. They've been targeting children, ages 5 to 14, because of how they've been able to mold and brainwash them into terrorizing killing machines, living out the motto �kill or be killed, rape or be raped, torture or be tortured.� They're big enough to carry guns, but small enough to sneak around unseen, capturing other children if needed. Every night children are kidnapped and forced to join the LRA, facing torture and death if they refuse. These same children often see their own family members tortured, raped and killed. Seventy-eight percent of abductees have witnessed a killing, twenty-three percent have been forced to abuse dead bodies, forty-two percent have been forced to kill or attack a stranger and twenty-two percent have been forced to kill or attack a family member. Invisible Children: Rough Cut is a film based on the children in this war. Children who are perceived as being invisible because of their constant fleeing. Every night they hide and sleep in verandas at hospitals or bus stops or they hide in underground areas. Every child is afraid of capture. These children need as much help as possible; they have no money, no resources, no education and a great majority of them have no family. That is why Invisible Children: Rough Cut is such an important documentary- it has began a massive movement that is rippling across America. The Invisible Children Inc. organization (IC) has been extremely supportive and helpful towards those who are suffering in Uganda. They have made extreme efforts to raise money and bring mentors to the �invisible children.� �[Invisible Children has] provided healthcare, safety, education and employment. We are helping to give the children of Uganda a chance to live a better life," commented Ashley Butera, an intern for the PR of IC. "Our Schools for Schools program has inspired over 4,000 students to raise over $69,000 for schools in Uganda We provide them with quality education and valuable life skills that enable them to take responsibility for their future and the future of their country."� Schools for Schools is one of the most successful and most needed programs aiding the children. A school community watches the documentary, forms a club supporting it, then starts their own Schools for Schools program. They are assigned a school in Uganda that needs reconstructing and their mission is to raise as much money as possible by the deadline of May 16. Screenings are easy to get. IC is on a national tour showing and discussing the documentary for free. "I have seen people walk away in tears because they can not believe the situation, people who are just excited because they have been inspired and all they want to do is help, but most of all in almost everyone I have seen that they have been touched and most likely that means they will tell someone," added Butera. "[We are] relational based. The tour is to talk to the audience, not just ask for money. We want to build relationships, just like we do in Uganda," said IC roadie Dustin Namirr. Awareness needs to be spread in Olympic High School. If a screening is arranged, the community needs to come together to help the children. Unfortunately, an assembly would be hard to obtain this year because of WASL and AP testing, but community screenings are not out of the question and lending a hand isn't impossible. Displace Me, a national event taking place on April 28, is now being arranged and IC needs as many people as possible to sign up. Participants will all sleep in Seattle parks in respect to those who are placed in Internationally Displaced Person camps. Go online to www.invisiblechildren.com for previews, information on how to become a part of the action and to sign up now. Ashley Catlett is still currently investigating this topic. She is trying to schedule a school screening in the forum and is attempting to begin a Schools for Schools project for Olympic High School. Contact her with any questions

Thoughts:
I think its so inpirational and moving.

Inspiration:
My aunt sent me the package and said it would be perfect for me . I love being involded in charities.

Tell People:
"Shoot for the stars the sky is the limit " If you have a dream go for it dont be stopped by anything.

Story:
I am only 15 years old, but I have huge dreams and wishes. I would love to build a orphange for these poor innocent children , most of them do not have parents and I would love to provide a warm and safe home and atmosphere for them,. I do not know how to proceed from here. I just wish I could do more. In a couple of weeks i will be speaking in my church about invisible children and asking for donations and letting more people know about what is going on.

Thoughts:
it was really hard to understand what they have to go through but i felt sad that i get to sleep warm and comfortable every night in a bed that doesnt move and i cried about what i saw when you see the kids in the room sleeping i thought it wasnt alot then you moved the camera to a different room and thats when it really hit me! im gonna do the displacement camp and i appreciate what you guys are doing over there!! good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Inspiration:
i thought it was gonna be just another movie but now i feel like i wanna go with you guys to africa and help!

Tell People:
help bring peace to all of the nations and forget about guns or weapons of mass distruction and just be thankful that this world is shared and not conquered

Story:
not much compared to the kids there lived in a bad neighboorhood so i moved alot but not every night .

Thoughts:
The film was eye opening, i had no idea the world could be so cruel. You boys are so inspirational.

Inspiration:
We have not held an event yet it is still in the process.

Tell People:
You can do anythng you put your mind to, and if you believe in it your dreams will come true.

Story:
2 friends and I have plans to build homes in watoto for these children and our aim is to raise enough money to build a whole village, we are aussies and we intend to go all over the county raising money through presentations in corporate banks, military bases and hold charity dinners....and much more!!!

Thoughts:
it ripped out my heart, and threw it on the ground. i have never seen such a movie. my teacher told us that it would be graphic, but we all thought, "no, we have seen much worse". and then we actually saw the movie. the thought of it actually happening in our world, MY world, is unbearable.

Inspiration:
the begining of the movie. it got me right there. we are doing all we can. selling candy, cokes, food, t-shirts, and throwing school dances for the event. we charge 5 dollars per person for the dance fee. at each dance, we have about 80-90 people show up, plus food and concessions.

Tell People:
to the people at the IC center, i have never met any of you, but i love you guys already. to others out there, please donate. think of your kids, think of how happy they are, now think of the ugandan kids, not so happy, huh? they are just like us, no difference at all.

Story:
my name is alex parsley. i live in jasper, tennessee. i am 12 years old, and i am spoiled rotten, and i just became aware of it. all my life, i have been pampered. ive never gone hungry, never went thirsty. i have a school, i have a home with furnished food. these kids, they have NEVER had any of this. they dont know what pampered is. they have had to fight just to survive, here i am just laying on the couch all day watching television. it just amazes me how these people can even have the strength to laugh. i throw fits because i dont get to watch my favorite show. i feel so horrible now. my school, jasper middle school, is making a stand for these children. my class has already taked up donations for the event.

Thoughts:
The film was made with all the right elements to inspire and motivate people who were once bored and complacent. These are things you have heard millions of times. It was perfect and we are on your side.

Inspiration:
$5 blows when you can make ooooh, I dont know, $28.

Tell People:
Let this story be an inspiration to all. You can easily double your trivial donations and turn water into wine! Drink up, fellaz!! Dont be shy.

Story:
This is the story of all stories--the story of magic!!! Fire all your magicians, get rid of all your personal sorcerers, and dust off the old road atlas. We ventured out in the Jetta to San Diego, CA, prepared to battle the worse scenarios and conditions a 3-day road trip has to offer. And battle them we did. After falling asleep at the wheel, driving through no-mans land, and running out of gas, our vivacious spirits motivated us towards an impossible goal. With only 3 hours of sleep in 2 days and still hundreds of miles away, we were determined to reach Vegas before sunrise. It was a race against time, but we found ourselves driving through "Sin City" at 4:00am. Bellagio was the gamble of choice and our suffering bank accounts led us to a mutual agreement to spend just $5. If luck was on our side, the money would be donated to Invisible Children. Confidant our inner gut feelings were hard at work, we slipped the $5 bill into the nickel slot machine. Hit after hit, gamble after gamble, we finally decided to go for the maximum 5 nickel bet and pull the slot. We watched as our $5 turned into $14. Sleep-deprived eyes wide-open in awe, we decided to chance it just one more time. We needed to do something big, something unimaginable. Where did we find ourselves? The Roulette table. Red or black? Black or red? We watched as the weathered gamblers who had been there for hours found good luck in black. We searched our inner most gut feelings, reaching to the depths of our core, and chose black with confidence. Displaying our inexperience in gambling with no regret, we placed our $14 on black and watched the tiny metal ball that held our fait spin round and round. If we had seats, we would have been sitting on the edge. Just then--BLACK! We had turned our $5 into $28. For a split second we looked at each other with questioning eyes. Should we chance it yet again? Our question was interrupted by the dealer who said, "You are a winner! Quit now!" Content with our $28, we took our blessed dealers advice with peace. And thus concludes, the story of how $5 turned into $28. Enjoy the dirty money, yall!

Thoughts:
it was very moving and i was touched by all the childrens' storys.

Inspiration:
how all the kids slept together in the bus park together. its like there one big family.

Tell People:
we raised $3,600 dollars from t-shirts to bracelets and donations. my teacher said this was one of our best events yet.

Story:
well...my teacher showed me the video and i about cried because it was so sad. and just yesterday we had an Invisible children show for all the parents to come and watch the 7th graders at my school change the world. as a matter of fact im wearing a shirt and the bracelet that stands for Emmy the orphan.

Thoughts:
It is very moving.

Inspiration:
Just the kids, the way they have to live.

Tell People:
Help.

Story:
I want to help those kids as much as possible.