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Night Commuters:
The Terrorized Children of Northern Uganda  For over the past 19 years the people of northern Uganda and southern Sudan have been terrorized by a group calling itself the "Lord’s Resistance Army" or LRA. With no political platform, no constituency, and no beneficial purpose in the eyes of the people it claims to represent, the LRA are led by evil madmen bent on death and destruction. Sadly most of it's "soldiers" are kidnapped children - young children - forced to kill their parents, siblings and friends lest they receive the same death sentance themselves. In the past few years, the Lord’s Resistance Army has abducted over 44,000 children in northern Uganda for use as child soldiers, forced “wives”, and porters. The LRA appears to exist solely for its own benefit with a stated intent of taking over the governement of Uganda. Thus, fear of abduction by the LRA and subsequent forced inscription, beatings, and/or rape have compelled thousands of children in the districts of Gulu and Kitgum to walk several miles every night from their homes in rural village areas to safer locations in the larger nearby cities. They look for sidewalks, bus stations and camps to sleep on the ground or concrete floors - every night - and often with no blankets or bedding. These children are collectively known as the "Night Commuters" or "night walkers". These children choose to make this journey each dusk and dawn because the LRA prefers to attack small isolated villages, instead of mounting complex urban assaults. These “Night Commuters” spend the night huddled together in bus stops, under patios, and in doorways; in any open flat space with the slightest amount of shelter. Without a mattress to sleep on, or a shower to bathe in, the children then rise in the morning and walk back to their villages where they attend school and work on their family farms. Far Reaching Ministries has been operating in the areas of northern Uganda and southern Sudan since 1999. In that time eight of our staff members have been killed by the LRA and numerous others have barely survived attacks on vehicle convoys. We have ministered to children and adults who have been victimized by the LRA and have experienced firsthand the anger and the fear that are a part of not knowing when the next attack will come. Please consider helping through prayer, people or provision. Free CD - Hear Wes Bentley on the issue For more information from additonal sources, here are some links to see what others have also been reporting on the situation: Christianity Today: Deliver Us from Kony UNICEF - Carol Bellamy Kevin Sites: In the Hot Zone MSNBC Amnesty International Oprah - Lisa Ling Newsweek Invisible Children BBC BBC Photo Montage Check out Rabuna Fi - our womens's ministry outreach. Also check out FRMA - Far Reaching Ministries Aviation Back to Africa |
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