RBV fashion show to benefit African schools

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Rancho Buena Vista High School students are planning a fashion show Friday to raise money for schools in war-torn northern Uganda.

Freshman Anna Lei said she decided to organize the event to help the children in the east African nation after seeing the documentary "Invisible Children."

The documentary, produced in 2003 by three San Diego-based college students, focuses on the plight of northern Uganda's "night commuters," tens of thousands of children who leave their rural villages each night and travel several miles to seek refuge in public places such as hospitals and churches to escape being kidnapped by a rebel group that has been battling the government there for more than 20 years.

In that time, the group, known as the Lord's Resistance Army, has been accused of kidnapping children to use as soldiers and sex slaves. The Invisible Children nonprofit organization works to raise money to improve conditions for children in northern Uganda and to increase awareness of the situation.

Lei said she wanted to do something unique to raise money to help these children and figured that a fashion show would appeal to teenagers. She said she also hopes the event will encourage other teens to get involved.

"I hope this will open some people's eyes," Lei said. "I'm hoping it will inspire other children to help, because this is a really big issue."

In addition to clothes donated from Calvin Klein and Macy's, the event will feature local bands, speakers and a screening of the documentary. It will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday in Rancho Buena Vista's auditorium. Admission will be $10 and includes dinner.

Lei said she's hoping to raise between $2,000 and $5,000 that night, between the entrance fee and clothing sales.

Though Lei has been the primary organizer of the show, about 25 students with the school's Invisible Children Club have helped.

The club, which puts on fundraisers throughout the year, started last year after a screening of the documentary at the campus piqued students' interest in helping the cause.

"The kids just showed so much interest, and they wanted to do so many different things that they pretty much said, 'We need help,' " said Tim Fay, who agreed to offer that help as the club's coordinator.

Last school year, the club raised roughly $3,500 through various fundraisers for the Spring Valley-based nonprofit group's Schools for Schools program, which pairs up schools in this country with needy campuses in northern Uganda. The Vista Unified School District campus is one of more than 500 across the country to participate in the program.

So far this year, the local club has raised about $3,000 toward its goal of $10,000. Fay said he doesn't know whether the club will meet that goal, but said he expects to collect at least $5,000 by the time the Schools for Schools program ends May 16.

"We're probably going to fall short," he said, "but any money is good."

Other North County high schools are also part of the Schools for Schools program, including Carlsbad, Fallbrook, Poway and Santa Fe Christian high schools.

More information about the program, documentary and nonprofit group is available on the Web site, www.invisiblechildren.com.

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