As we enter 2016, we are pleased to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. Since 2006, ChildVoice has been providing war-affected girls with an opportunity to rebuild their lives in northern Uganda. We couldn’t have done it without the support of our donors.
In 2006, we pioneered a unique therapeutic community model to provide hope and opportunity for adolescent girls in northern Uganda. At that time, there were no long-term interventions for young women whose lives had been devastated by war. Returning child soldiers and sex slaves were no longer welcome in their home villages. Many young women had been kidnapped by rebels as children and had spent their formative years as captives. Years of war had left their home communities traumatized and facing abject poverty.
After a year of research and planning, the Lukome Center opened its doors in 2007 and gave the most vulnerable young women an opportunity to recover from the horror of war and obtain the life skills and education they needed to return to their villages. We didn’t give up on these young girls and we didn’t let them give up on themselves. These resilient young women worked hard to rebuild their lives and today our graduates have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities.
Thankfully, peace has returned to northern Uganda, but years of war has left the region struggling to rebuild its infrastructure and economy. The second generation impact of war remains, and our young students today still face many challenges.
Today, we look ahead to expanding our therapeutic model in South Sudan, where thousands of young men have been coerced to fight for rebel forces. Much like the returning soldiers in Uganda ten years ago, these young men return home traumatized and without the skills necessary to rebuild their lives.
We’ll keep you updated throughout the year as we celebrate ten years of service. Look for coming stories, activities, and events that will help to commemorate the lives that have been changed in the past decade.
Thank you so much for your partnership in restoring the voices of children silenced by war!