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Armed conflicts have engulfed numerous African countries, threatening the safety of countless children. Many have been forced to join armed groups as child soldiers, porters, cooks, sex slaves and spies -- suffering brutal and degrading treatment, and often perpetrating acts of violence themselves.
World Vision is seeking to ensure that governments prioritize the protection of children from these dangers, and to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of former child soldiers back into communities. Sadly, the recruitment of child soldiers continues today in countries including the Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia and Sudan (Darfur).
In Northern Uganda, World Vision has engaged in a range of efforts to assist and advocate for former child soldiers who were forced to fight with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In Rwanda, World Vision has engaged with children and youth in advocating for reconciliation and peace which is still needed in Rwanda following the genocide of 1994.
As a child-focused humanitarian organisation, World Vision works to ensure that there is a meaningful level of child participation in many of its projects, including the Promotion of Reconciliation among Youths Project in Rwanda, the Waajid Grassroots Peace-Building Project in Somalia, and the Children as Peace builders Project in Rwanda. These projects give children a platform for self-expression and opportunities for engaging their community elders and officials in dialogues to promote and advance agendas for peace and reconciliation.
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