WEST HARTFORD, Connecticut– On Tuesday
September 25th, members of the non-profit organization Invisible Children visited Saint Brigid School. "Roadies" (as the traveling members of the organization are affectionately called) facilitated a movie screening and visited the fourth through eighth grade classrooms. By using the organization's mission to bring an end to rebel leader Joseph Kony's crimes against humanity in central Africa, SBS students explored the power of their own voices to make a positive change in the world. Invisible Children's campaign against Joseph Kony and his use of terrorism including the abduction of child for his Lord's Resistance Army has gained a lot of exposure in 2012 after IC's film "KONY 2012" went viral in March.
The IC Roadies brought along with them Richard Mark Ochaka, a once displaced Ugandan refugee due to war in his home country. He now serves as a mentor in Invisible Children's Legacy Scholarship Program rehabilitating victims of the war. After a powerful screening of IC’s film
“KONY 2012,” Richard shared his personal accounts and an inspiring message of hope and peace with SBS students. Students then engaged in a thirty minute question and answer session with Richard and team member Jono airing their concerns for affected children their age. Saint Brigid students presented Invisible Children with a check for $250 towards their organization. This money was raised by the students from just the start of the school year a little over
four weeks ago.
The afternoon was filled with workshop sessions broken up by age. Roadies talked with students about advocacy and
activism on a grander scale helping students realize the power of their voice. The take away for students was no act is too small to make positive change. This lesson is of course taken from Invisible Children’s own history; starting
as a grassroots non-profit nine years ago, the organization has grown to have a worldwide presence as well as political and pop culture notoriety. Students immediately became proactive by writing letters to government representatives
during their lunch period, interviewing Roadies for their own student newspaper, and asking about ways to get more involved.
A break from the traditional classroom lesson, this event served as a reminder that there are those who are suffering and we, even as young as nine years-old, can not only speak up and be heard, but can teach others to do the same. Saint Brigid School plans to base parts of their writing and social studies curriculum on this unique experience.
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Saint Brigid School is a private Catholic school with a mission to educate the whole child and develop tomorrow’s global citizens. Saint Brigid School is located in the Elmwood neighborhood of West Hartford, CT. For more information visit www.saintbrigidschool.org or email us at info@saintbrigidschool.org or call (860) 561-2130.
