Merrimack High club aims to help African kids

MERRIMACK – Students at Merrimack High School are reaching out to help Ugandan children who have been swept up in their country’s civil war.

Members of a school club called Random Acts of Kindness will join a national effort, spearheaded by an umbrella organization called Invisible Children, to support youngsters of the east African country, many whom have been kidnapped and made into soldiers.

The student group, which promotes volunteerism, philanthropy and working for peace, will host a community information night Thursday.

The featured speaker will be Erin Morehouse, a Souhegan High School graduate who just completed more than two years in Uganda with the Peace Corps, said Pam Foster, the club’s adviser.

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The students will then talk about their partnership with Invisible Children, a nonprofit organization founded by three American filmmakers following their 2003 documentary about the war-torn northern Uganda area.

Invisible Children helps organize school redevelopment projects and other programs aimed at improving education. It has also invited schools from across the western world to participate in friendly fundraising competitions.

Earlier this year, Merrimack students did so by organizing a book drive, collecting more than 1,500 texts. Those will be sold, and proceeds will go toward renovating and rebuilding schools, buying supplies and improving school sanitation systems.

On Thursday, Merrimack students will show a film and discuss their plans to educate the public on their goals and plans to help Invisible Children, Foster said.

The informational meeting will be at the Merrimack High School Little Theater from 7-9 p.m.