User:Eppo ralph eerkes/sandbox

eppo eerkes

Film Maker / Director

In 1997 eppo traveled to 7 countries in Africa including Uganda. Words from his diary, "It was an unforgettable 3 month journey where I was able to experience all the incredible offerings this continent had to offer including the wildlife, scenery and culture. In 2004 I discovered like much of the world that while i was in Southern Uganda in ’97 a horrific atrocity was taking place only 2 hours away in Northern Uganda. The Lords Resistance Army had been raiding their own communities in defiance of the Southern ruling government. The terrifying facts revealed that children from these communities as young as 7 were being forced to fight for the LRA. I was sickened to discover that these atrocities were taking place while i was there in Uganda. So I had to do something about it. I decided to travel to the war zone and interview child soldiers who were recently repatriated back to their country. My goal ultimately was to create a film taking their stories and giving them an innovative twist showing the world that child soldiers anywhere no matter what colour of skin is a complete travesty."