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| © UNICEF Uganda/2007/Hyun |
| Sarah (name changed), 17, was released from the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) a year ago. Back home in northern Uganda, she is recovering and caring for her son, whose father is an LRA officer. |
As you may know, we’ve been blogging about UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action Report, published in February. For the report, UNICEF looked at the living conditions children face all over the world and came up with 39 countries in which children are suffering under extreme hardships and which need immediate emergency funding.
A few weeks ago, we told you the story of Bina, a boy in Malawi who was able to go back to a temporary school after his old one was washed away in a flood. Today we want to tell you about Sarah (not her real name), a former child soldier who lives in war-torn Uganda.
Northern Uganda has been in a state of war for 20 years. 1.5 million people are refugees in their own country. And the children of Uganda live in constant fear of being kidnapped and recruited as child soldiers.
Sarah, who is now 17, was one such child soldier. She was abducted by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army when she was just 7 years old, and was forced into sexual slavery. Her abductor let her go when she became pregnant. Now Sarah cares for her small boy and ekes out a living as a tailor. With the help of UNICEF and partner organizations, she was able to be reunited with her family. Her brother, who was also abducted, sadly most likely died while being held captive.
Sarah has found hope for her future in the peer support group Empowering Hands, where she is a member of the dance troupe that performs in her camp. UNICEF assists groups like Empowering Hands as part of the effort to help former child soldiers get fully accepted by their communities. Sarah’s biggest concern now is for her son, and more than anything she wishes that the war would end so he can grow up in a safer world.
Sarah is just one of thousands of children who suffer under the devastation of war. UNICEF recognizes the crises that are happening in places like Uganda and is working hard to give these children a better future.
To read more about Sarah, you can go here. If you’d like to answer UNICEF’s emergency appeal, please visit our donation page. And remember to check back here for more real-life stories from the Humanitarian Action Report.
Comments (1)
the only comment that i will make is :
UNICEF should also work on children's plans for the future
Posted by yannick moka | April 8, 2008 5:56 AM
Posted on April 8, 2008 05:56