The Movers and Shakers: Exile International

By Sarah Foy
Kony 2012. You watched the video, you saw the facebook statuses. If you’re like me, your heart broke to see a man, Joseph Kony, abduct hundreds of children and force them to kill their parents and fight in the Lord’s Resistance Army in this war waging across Africa. And, if you’re like me, you wanted to know what was being done to help these children. Exile International is a program that answers that question by focusing on three-fold plan: action, advocacy, and awareness.

The Exile team goes to the places hardest hit like Congo and eastern Africa to provide trauma care to these war-effected children through art and expressive therapy workshops. They listen to the kids’ stories and help them with the guilt of killing family members and fighting in the war. Exile International also has a sponsorship program for those orphaned and abandoned by the war providing food, shelter, education, and psychosocial care. The team is dedicated to social justice and advocacy, and they share the children’s artwork to raise awareness.
Exile International is taking major action against a major crime by helping these children live normal lives again and giving them opportunity for a future outside of fighting in the war. You can be involved in this program by telling others about Exile International, researching the war in Africa and become informed, or donating to their funding. Visit www.exileinternational.org for more details.