Article that will be appearing in the Champion Post

Take the time to read this article!!!

Have you seen Blood Diamond?
You must see the Invisible Children!!!

March 2007, with great excitement and anticipation five of us clambered into a Holden Commodore outside Parkes Public School to make our annual pilgrimage to the Colour Your World Women’s Conference in Sydney. There were other car loads leaving from Parkes, Dubbo, Orange, all over the central west joining with around 20,000 women from 35 nations.

The conference had grown steadily since its inception and this year, the 10th anniversary, was so large that it was being held in the Acer arena. Certain things we already knew. We would be greeted by young men in tuxedos and escorted into the building along a red carpet. We would be treated like royalty for the mandate of ’Colour’ is to place dignity and value on women. There would be good food, entertainment, lots of laughs, gifts, the pamper zone and crowds of excited, chattering women. As the statistics unfolded we found that in just two days we had consumed 245km of toilet paper, 528 litres of ice-cream, 66,000 chocolates; sponsored another 871 compassion children, provided 2545 gifts for women in prison and 3510 Christmas shoe box gifts for children in under privileged countries. There were treats and gifts and we were serenaded by Guy Sebastian. Once more the conference was all we had anticipated but we never imagined how much this conference would rend our hearts, cause the tears to flow, impact and change us forever.

In one particular session Marilyn Skinner, a regular speaker at Colour and joint founder with her husband Gary, of Watoto Child Care Ministries and the world famous Watoto Children’s Choir, updated us on the things that were happening in Uganda.

Uganda is a nation ravaged by war and HIV/AIDS. More than 50% of the Ugandan children are orphans. Many of the children are born with HIV and have no hope for a future. Watoto currently operates three villages and cares for over 1700 children. The villages include over 200 individual homes, each accommodating eight children and a house mother. They also contain a complete school system for the Watoto children and the surrounding communities, a medical clinic, a church/community centre, an agricultural project providing food, a clean water source and electrical power. The result is a self-sustaining village that serves the children while providing employment for women and teachers, and steady jobs for labourers. The Skinners believe that as the children are trained academically and spiritually, they will enter society equipped with the necessary life skills and moral values, to enable them to make a significant and lasting impact on the future of Uganda.

Marilyn had brought some of the children with her and it was wonderful to see the joy on their faces and hear them tell how their lives had been changed and the hope they now held.
We were then shown a move called the Invisible Children. In the spring of 2003, three young Americans left Southern California armed with a video camera and a sense of adventure in search of a story that would change the world. When they found themselves stranded in Northern Uganda they found a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them – a story where children are the weapons and the victims. They discovered children being abducted from their homes and forced to fight as child soldiers. The Invisible Children is no polished documentary but the home movie of these three young men. There is no producer, director or large budget but this film shows the everyday reality of these children in the Ugandan war zone. The home movie was originally screened for friends and family in June 2004 and soon expanded to high schools, colleges and religious institutions throughout America. From suburban living rooms to Capitol Hill, with coverage on Oprah, CNN, the National Geographic Channel, and now presented to us at Colour. This film has the power to break your heart, cause great thankfulness to rise up for your lot in life and to motivate you.

As the movie unfolded I found myself transported to another world, everything around me seemed to fade and disappear. I was in the middle of Uganda, the tears streaming down my face as I saw the plight of these young children, boys and girls being torn from their families, indoctrinated and taught to kill. Girls as young as seven and eight years old used as sex slaves. I thought of the mothers and fathers in great distress and anguish who would be crying out “Where are my children?” I thought of my own children and the children I see each day at Parkes Public School. Although I had many challenges in my own childhood and see daily challenges for many of the children at school in which we might think their circumstances were far from ideal, I realised how fortunate and blessed we are to live in the nation of Australia and to live in a community such as Parkes. As the film finished and the lights came on I was jolted back to my reality. I wasn’t in Uganda but sitting in the Acer Arena in Sydney deeply moved, tears still streaming down my face and as I looked around I realised I was not alone but all the other women had just the same experience, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the building.
Everyone wanted to do something, but what could we do? Marilyn Skinner got up again telling us that the civil war in Northern Uganda had left a wake of devastation for the people of Gulu. The 20 year conflict between Joseph Kony’s LRA and the government had seen over 30,000 children abducted and forced to serve as soldiers, or given as sex slaves in his rogue army. Innocent children were being turned into killing machines against their own families and communities. We also sat there thinking we have to do something, but what? These atrocities needed to stop. My mind was racing; how could these children who had been stolen and so indoctrinated be rescued? How could they possibly live normal lives? How could they learn to enjoy fun, games and childhood? How could they be equipped to one day raise their own children with hope and emotional stability? Marilyn then told us that Watoto Children’s Ministries wanted to go into Gulu, into the very heart of the Ugandan war, where they are training the child soldiers, and rescue them. Using the Watoto model they wanted to build villages and bring a hope and a future to these young children.

Here was something we could do, however small. Whatever money we had on us we were ready to give it all away. Great pressure was put on Bobbie Houston, the host of the conference to take up a collection. But the policy of Colour is to never take up an offering and especially when we are emotionally moved. Yet everyone was appealing “Please let us give, please take our money.” Later in the day Bobbie got up and asked “If I was to take up an offering for Gulu who would give?” There was thunderous applause, screaming and a show of around 20 000 hands. She then asked us to take out what we wanted to give and to hold it in our hands. Ushers were frantically looking for receptacles as this was most unusual. Finally all around us were ushers with buckets and women with money in their hands eagerly waiting for the buckets to come so we could give our gifts to the Gulu project. Bobbie got up and said “Do you have your offering in your hand?” “Yes” we all screamed. Then she said, “I’m not going to collect it but I’m asking you to take it home and multiply it then give it to Gulu.” You could have heard a pin drop.
So the dust of Colour has settled, the emotions are stable and we have come home to the wonderful haven and community of Parkes but we are changed, we have seen things that mean we will never be the same. We are asking you, the people of Parkes, mothers, fathers, children, businesses, clubs, schools, to help us raise the funds to build at least one home. We are asking you to give out of your abundance and change the lives of at least eight children. Come see the movie the Invisible Children when we screen it. Buy the chocolates we’ll be selling in the next few weeks, come to our garage sale, trivia night, donate to an auction or a raffle. All donations over $2 are tax deductible; so come on companies, businesses and organisations - you can make a difference. If you would like to help or give a donation, Donations can be sent to Gulu, PO Box 260, Parkes. Make cheques payable to Watoto Childcare Ministries and we will organise a tax deductible receipt.

As I finish writing this article my heart is filled with gratefulness that I live in Parkes and belong to a safe and caring community. I trust as you have read this article that you, too, have been reminded of the incredible privilege we have in belonging to the community of Parkes.
Shona Taggart