Hi Mumsnet mums,
We at Jubilee Campaign (and there aren't many of us) have been greatly encouraged by all of your interest and concern. We really need your support to keep the issue alive and to bring real change in Uganda; so thank you for your existing efforts ? and we hope you can help us a little more!
We have posted the original BBC News video on our site now here for those of you who didn't get a chance to see it first time around. Watch the undercover BBC News investigation with Jubilee Campaign
We have read every message on this thread and wanted to answer each point specifically but first some background information on us. Jubilee Campaign launched this campaign to end child sacrifice in Uganda working with a local charity, Kyampisi Childcare Ministries in Uganda, and got Chris Rogers and the BBC involved to give greater exposure to this gruesome crime; we published a major report on the issue, probably the first of its kind, and this is available free from our website. Jubilee Campaign is based in the UK. We have run many effective campaigns for children at risk worldwide using these three elements: a. lobbying b. charitable action c. raising awareness & mobilising support from church & community groups. We worked with the same reporter (Chris Rogers) on another issue (children in adult prisons in the Philippines) and the story was covered by ITV News and CNN, plus several global print media outlets; we organised special hearings in the US Congress etc and eventually the law was changed in the Philippines. You can read the story here - Kids Behind Bars
To answer some specific points from this thread;
a. @Notquitegrownup Wed 12-Oct-11 09:29:42 The BBC weren?t able to explain that the main purpose of our campaign was to seek a change in the law; at the moment there is no law to deal with the issue of child/human sacrifice; we are also raising funds to help the survivors, like Allan, the boy featured in the film. Of course, the police should be better resourced, but that is an issue for the Ugandan authorities. At the moment, if a citizen seeking help calls for the Task Force dealing with human sacrifice the family will have to pay for the petrol for the police vehicle.
b. @nokissymum Wed 12-Oct-11 09:56:24 Peter Sewakiryanga is the Ugandan ?pastor? featured in the film; he is our partner. We are organising things for him outside of Uganda. Peter cares for Allan [the young boy featured in the BBC film] and other child survivors of sacrifice; you can read more about them in the report. We are raising funds to help with building a house for Allan, and to provide for his medical, educational and practical needs; also to help his father re-establish his business.
c. @reallytired Wed 12-Oct-11 10:35:27 You are right ? if everyone contributed a small amount of money, the impact would be phenomenal. We are compiling Allan?s medical file and considering the best option for his treatment; we have already identified possibilities in South Africa and India; we are also exploring options for him to be treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Of course, the first step is to establish a strong financial base. We wondered about the possibility of harnessing the fantastic power of MumsNet, ane the best way to involve people. How could we make this one of the featured ?campaigns??
d. @Longtallsally Wed 12-Oct-11 10:45:08 As mentioned, Chris Rogers is a close associate of ours with whom we have worked before on a major story that ? combined with campaigning from ordinary people and lobbying ? we saw the law changed [in the Philippines]. We sent this story to Chris and working intensely with him throughout the process, and set up the entire investigation for him in Uganda to enable him to go undercover and investigate this issue.
e. @Longtallsally Thu 13-Oct-11 09:54:55 Yes we were also disappointed that the BBC didn?t clearly explain that we have launched a campaign to change the law ? we were told that they couldn?t do that, a great pity since we gave the BBC a major story. We are grateful to the BBC for exposing this great crime but it would have been helpful if people realised just where the story came from with a clear direction to our website explaining our key role in this process ? and that our objective was to help the child survivors of this truly shocking crime. That is why we really need the help of friends from MumsNet and would be so grateful for anything you can do to spread the word.
To be clear, our campaign is focussed on three things:
- Raising awareness; download the report here - available free on our website
- Sign the petition and get others to do the same; spread the news via Facebook etc..
- Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter
- Send us a donation for Allan and children like him; all designated donations for this project will be used fully for the survivors without any deductions being made.
We?d love to develop a partnership with MumsNet so let us know any ideas anyone may have about taking this forward. Please let us know if there are any other specific questions that we can answer - you can all contact Danny Smith our founder directly at dannyjubileecampaign.co.uk
Incidentally the traffic from this thread to our website is second only to Facebook!
Many thanks to you all.
David Dorey
Jubilee Campaign.