Don’t Forget Us

by emma | Oct 22, 2008 | Africa, Social Justice

Tonight I had my heart broken again.

I finally got to see the Invisible Children movie tonight. They’ve just launched their IC Europe efforts properly, and are doing a tour around the UK screening the movie in as many places as possible. (If you want to host a screening click here… Ami will help, she’s lovely!) Invisible Children are working in Northern Uganda trying to counter the effects of a drawn-out civil war.

I didn’t get a chance to go to Gulu when I was in Uganda this summer, but I did get to have dinner in Kampala with my friend Jess, who interned as the IC photographer all summer. We shared stories of our summers over some food and Stoney.

I miss Uganda.

There is this scene towards the end of the movie, where a young Uganda boy who has shared his story over the course of the movie, speaks to the guys, saying,

“Don’t forget us. Watch this video a month later, and remember us. Please don’t forget us.”

I threw myself back into this hectic UK lifestyle. A new job. Flitting between multiple cities. Working full time for the first time. Not being a student. Stress. Confusion.

Earlier this week I finally took all the video from my trip summer past off my camcorder and put it onto my hard drive. I watched back through the most of it, for the first time since I came back. The smiling kids. The devoted staff. The passionate teams.

Watch this, and remember us.

There are so many stories and sometimes I feel overwhelmed by them. I guess I feel a little compassion fatigue at the minute. All the stories from my summer in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya. On Saturday I am heading to DR Congo for two weeks. More stories to tell.

I’m not sure how much my heart can take.
It’s a good thing that it doesn’t just stay in my heart, but overflows to you all.

“… Break my heart for what breaks yours // Everything I am for your kingdoms cause…”