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A River Blue Project is an arts empowerment project for the children of Alebtong, Aloi and Omoro IDP (internally-displaced persons) camps in Northern Uganda, funded and overseen by Barefoot Workshops, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, media-based educational and development organization.

In 1987, Joseph Kony started a rebel movement to overthrow the government of Uganda. The rebel movement is now known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). For two decades, LRA has been battling the Government of Uganda (GOU) for political power.

It is estimated that 80% of Kony’s army is made up of children who have been violently abducted from their homes and forced to be soldiers, laborers and, in the case of girls, sex slaves. More than 25,000 children have been kidnapped by the LRA and thousands more are left homeless and without families. Children must find their way to IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps where they can hopefully find protection from the rebels. Many of these children suffer post-traumatic stress disorder from witnessing brutal killings, often times of a parent or sibling.

Barefoot’s relationship with the children of Northern Uganda began in August, 2006 when singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur, was invited by Barefoot founder Chandler Griffin to launch the project with a music, drama and art festival bringing together one hundred young people living in the camps to nurture and celebrate their creative vision and passion for the arts. During the festival, Joseph and the children recorded his song A River Blue from which the project takes its name.

The one hundred youth participants of A River Blue Arts Festival created approximately two hundred pieces of art using supplies brought from the US. Many of the images depict acts of violence witnessed by the young artists, atrocities committed by the LRA in their villages. Others portray beautiful images of that which they have lost – often their houses, a tree in the yard, the sun shining down. Barefoot plans to publish a book of these images; proceeds from sales of the book will directly support the rehabilitation and vocational center. In addition, Barefoot hopes that the book will create awareness of the continued suffering in Northern Uganda and encourage members of the international community to exert their will that a lasting peace be sought in the region.

Following the A River Blue festival, Aloi sub-county district awarded Barefoot Workshops a building in Alebtong. That structure has been developed as a vocational and rehabilitation center for young people, giving them the opportunity to express themselves through the arts so that they may begin to heal themselves and one another, as well as educate the international community about their situation, and acquire occupational skills for their futures.

Right now is the time to act and support programs that offer youth vocational and agricultural training. Parents are desperate to rebuild their lives and the youth play an enormous role in the process.

A RIVER BLUE is working to address the issue and give the children the desperately needed skills to make a difference and contribute to the future of their communities.

Through individual donations, grants and family foundations, A River Blue currently sponsors fifty-one students in and around Alebtong, Uganda.

Twenty students are sponsored through A River Blue Vocational Training Center which offers a hybrid curriculum that mixes tailoring, agriculture, English and business. Students rotate between classes, giving them a variety of skills that offers more opportunity and a chance to support themselves and build back their community.

Thirty-one students are sponsored by A River Blue through a variety of outside programs including secondary school, catering/hotel management, and various other vocational training programs.

Support A RIVER BLUE by donating or purchasing artwork created by the children of Northern Uganda. In doing this you will support, empower and give these children the skills they need to literally change their future.