ANYWAR RICKY RICHARD
2008 HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Friends of Orphans
Northern Uganda
Anywar Ricky Richard was abducted at age 14 to serve as a child soldier in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an experience that included witnessing the horrors of torture, rape, and the murder of his parents. Anywar managed to escape from his captors and subsequently began dedicating his life to helping other former LRA children.
Anywar founded the Friends of Orphans (FRO) in Northern Uganda, which helps former LRA child soldiers and abductees by first helping to meet their basic needs and then assisting them with personal development and empowerment activities. FRO’s services for these children re-entering society include teaching human rights, peace building and conflict management, as well as vocational training, educational programs and HIV/AIDS programs.