Children Born of War (CBOW) are children fathered by foreign soldiers and born to local mothers. The physical and social impact of armed conflict on children is immense; particularly so, if these children are associated with the “enemy”. In addition, evidence suggests that children born of war have been and continue to be a major obstacle to successful integration of both their mothers and themselves into post-conflict societies.
Associated with CBOW are children fathered by peacekeepers. These are children born from relationships, both consensual and forced, between local mothers and peacekeeping fathers. Peacekeeper-fathered children and their mothers face specific challenges in post-conflict communities, including stigmatization, discrimination, and economic and social hardships.
View the trailer for The Wound is Where the Light Enters, a film created by Dheeraj Akolkar (Vardo Films). It follows the making of ‘Otino Onywalo Ilum’, a documentary-dance project performed by fifteen children born of war in Northern Uganda. Otino Onywalo Ilum explores the perspectives and stories of children born of war. The project seeks to empower them to recognise their potential and exercise their rights.
The collaborative efforts of a number of partners supported the facilitation of the programme, including CHIBOW and the University of Birmingham, The University of Leipzig, The Alpha Group, FAPAD, National Theatre Kampala and the Bayimba Cultural Foundation.
The film won the Inspiration Award at the Arts and Humanities Research Council Research in Film Awards for 2021.
