The ten-year civil war was devastating for the people of Sierra Leone – tens of thousands were killed and many maimed both physically as well as mentally. Children and young people suffered immensely – of the 45,000 soldiers fighting, 17,000 were children. Most were aged between 15-18 but some were as young as six years old.
The British Red Cross, with help from the Tiffany Circle, is supporting the Sierra Leone Red Cross in running a child advocacy and rehabilitation (CAR) programme.
We are helping children and youth affected by the war, deal with their trauma and cope with every day life by providing them with basic education, vocational training, counselling support, and ensuring they are accepted and reintegrated within their community.
Video: children affected by war
Many children were abducted from their villages and press-ganged into fighting. 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.
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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 nine 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 and rehabilitation
©InfoWe are supporting the Sierra Leone Red Cross, who each year are helping 1,200 children affected by war through CAR projects based in Kambia, Port Loko, Kabala, Kailahun and Moyamba. 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.