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Many children were abducted from their villages and press-ganged into fighting during the war in Sierra Leone. They were given drugs, such as cocaine, to dull their senses and give them courage to fight. These child soldiers killed and maimed civilians, cleared mines, and constantly faced injury and death.
This video tell the stories of some of the children affected by Sierra Leone's conflict.
Other children, who were not part of the fighting forces, suffered violence and witnessed horrific events - including the murder of their parents and families, the mutilation of their friends and maiming of community leaders.
In 2002, the war was declared over and the children began to come home - but they have not always received a warm welcome and have faced an array of problems. Even six years after the war, many children are growing up with a future of limited opportunities.
The child advocacy and rehabilitation (CAR) programme offers children, their families and communities, a hand up to a better future.
Child advocacy rehabilitation: 2008-2009
We are supporting the Sierra Leone Red Cross to help 1,200 children affected by war through CAR projects based in Kambia, Port Loko, Kabala and Kailahun. This includes:
Helping children deal with their trauma through counselling and organised recreational and cultural activities.
Re-integrating children into society by providing them with education and vocational training - to give them greater independence, increase household income and improve living conditions for them and their families or their own children.
Creating child-friendly communities by increasing awareness of children's rights and other issues - leading to a reduction in sexual violence, improved health and social welfare.
Supporting projects that will increase families and communities self-sufficiency, by strengthening their ability to earn a living.
Strengthening the ability of the Sierra Leone Red Cross to better address the needs of children affected by war.
More about post-conflict care in Sierra Leone
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A woman carries her child past a house on fire at Capao Redondo slum in the outskirts of Sao Paulo August 24, 2009. Residents set fire to houses in protest after ...
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