Raising $4,000 in four weeks seems like a daunting task, but Capuchino High School students are trying in hopes of helping children in Uganda who want to go to school.

Learning how a 20-year war has resulted in children being abducted and turned into soldiers while those remaining live in fear of a similar fate prompted those at Capuchino High to do something about it. English teacher Justine Rutigliano was one of a small group to spend seven weeks this summer in Uganda through the nonprofit Invisible Children, which works to provide financial resources to undocumented children for positive change. Upon her return, Rutigliano shared a movie with students that started what many students hope will become a movement. Part of that effort is a self-imposed goal of supporting the Schools for Schools effort of Invisible Children, in which students raise money to support educational opportunities in Uganda. The campaign ends in December. Students have raised $1,000 thus far and hope to raise $5,000, which could help fund a school.

The lesson was also an introduction to many students of Uganda. Capuchino will be one of a handful of schools nationwide to host a teacher from Uganda during the month of January.

On Wednesday, many students took part in a presentation of the “Invisible Children: Rough Cut,” a documentary created by three young guys from Southern California who went to Africa in search of a story and stumbled upon children living in fear of becoming abducted and forced to kill. The about 35-minute movie showcases a journey into the unknown ending with children who sleep away from their families, often in large groups, in hopes of avoiding an abduction.

Prior to showing the film, Rutigliano explained how a woman gathered people together to overthrow the Uganda government in the ’80s claiming she was told to do so by spirits. She was exiled in 1987 and Joseph Kony assumed the role but was not accepted by her followers. His followers, now known as the Lord’s Resistance Army, resorted to abducting children ages 5 to 12 for soldiers.

“Does anyone know someone that age?” Rutigliano asked the theater full of teens, most of whom raised their hands. “Think about it. Those little people in your life, whatever you tell them to do they probably would do.”

In response to Kony’s efforts, the Ugandan government created Internally Displaced Person’s camps, known as IDPs. As of 2006, over 1 million people were in these camps. They left their farms and therefore their livelihood behind. Still children lived in fear of being abducted. This resulted in children sleeping in mass together in public places with guards or in hidden locations, but always together — all of which was shown on the short documentary.

Watching this and noting Rutigliano’s enthusiasm for her experiences in Africa enthused her students to want to do more. From there, a club was born, Schools for Schools: Capuchino Chapter. Students held a screening and began selling T-shirts for the cause. T-shirt sales helped raise $850 of the $1,000. Yesterday’s showing generated interest in more T-shirts and possibly sweatshirts for the cause, explained senior Sabrina Sihakom.

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Sanchez was affected by the documentary. At one point, a child discusses losing his brother and begins to cry. Sanchez put himself in the boy’s place.

“I would want someone to help me,” he said.

Eighteen-year-old Brian O’Neill questioned how someone could know of such a problem and not do something.

Senior Alyssa Blandino agreed, adding it was great to contribute to something that you could see is really helping children.

Students are raising money in a variety of ways: Selling T-shirts, paper bead necklaces, photo cards with pictures from Uganda and a book drive. Book drive efforts have been overwhelming and books will be donated for a school library in Uganda.

“We’re not doing something huge,” said O’Neill. “We’re doing something small. But if a lot of people do something small, it becomes something big.”

To learn more about Invisible Children visit www.invisiblechildren.com. To support the Schools to Schools Capuchino Chapter contact Justine Rutigliano at jrutigliano@smuhsd.org or send a donation to the group Capuchino High, c/o Justine Rutigliano, 1501 Magnolia Drive in San Bruno.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.