falling whistles

By now, we've probably all heard about Joseph Kony and the movement to Stop Kony in Central Africa. Awareness of the atrocities that are silently taking place is vitally important for saving and repairing lives, but that awareness should not stop with Kony. He is not the only one terrorizing people on the African continent right now. Thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are fleeing fighting headed by Bosco 'the Terminator' Ntaganda, another warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court for recruiting child soldiers.

An organization working to save and repair lives destroyed by Bosco in Congo is Falling Whistles. Just a few weeks ago, Falling Whistles posted on their Facebook page that they'd received word that Bosco and his troops killed 2 boys, and raped 12 girls being rehabilitated in a Falling Whistles-funded center for war-affected youth. A few days ago, they learned that 6 more of their kids were abducted by rebel militias. Falling Whistles pledges that they "won’t rest until they are safe."

These kids are not faceless, they are not nameless. Over the last two years, Falling Whistles and their supporters have helped invested in these kids' recovery. Although they are half a world away from many of us, we can do something to help these kids. We must do something to help. Falling Whistles asks you to:

Share it. Speak it. End this.

That is easy and it is free. People need to know about Bosco and his victims. Like the Kony campaign, we can spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs, etc. that there are other generals in Africa terrorizing people and survivors who need support.

I am a whistleblower for peace.

There is another way you can get involved with Falling Whistles and help spread the word: Be a whistleblower for peace. Buy a whistle and wear it over your heart. Learn the story and about the campaign so that one someone asks you about the whistle, you can tell the story of these children and enlist other whistleblowers. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to Falling Whistles.

Why whistles? Falling Whistles began after a group of travelers in the Congo learned about very young children - too little to hold a gun - being sent to the front lines to warn the troops behind them of pending attacks. These young children became the front line of war armed with only whistles. Go to the website and watch their heartbreaking video and read the full story.

Falling Whistles is currently working alongside Congolese community leaders to rehabilitate 267 war-affected children in northeast Congo. This program is entirely funded from sales of whistles. Three years after they began, Falling Whistles' coalition for peace in Congo includes 50,000 whistleblowers, 200 retailers, 77 organizations, 35 Congressmen and 16 Senators. Add your voice, buy a whistle, and be a whistleblower for peace.