Child soldiers who is helping

They work with our teams in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Burundi to ensure that they receive the necessary project and operational support to run our programmes effectively.

How we help child soldiers. A child hand-painting for Red Hand Day, a day that helps draw attention to the plight of children associated with armed groups and to put an end to the use of children as soldiers. The scale of the problem. Some are used as porters, cooks, spies, or for sexual purposes for fighters. Frederique's story. Frederique, a boy who used to be part of an armed group in the Central African Republic.

I had to take things into my own hands. Life is very different here. I love football. I can forget my troubles for a while. War Child, a Canadian based organization, has been around since UNICEF has played a big role in helping children around the world by releasing children associated with armed forces and providing them with assistance to return home.

The organization supports a variety of recovery services such as physical and mental health, education and skills training. Since , UNICEF has helped more than , former children associated with armed groups reintegrate into their communities. These three organizations helping child soldiers recover are making a difference in the lives of children around the world who find themselves caught in the conflict. This approach cannot solely be aimed at former child soldiers in DR Congo and Uganda - it has to take into account the circumstances and needs of children in areas such as Colombia, Syria and Yemen.

This is how War Child helps children deal with stigmatization during and after the war. It's possible that certain functionalities within the website, related to categories that have been turned off, no longer work as they should.

You can always change your preferences at a later date. More information. This website uses cookies and comparable techniques to offer an optimized user experience. More information Change preferences. The common image of a boy with a gun is far removed from the reality of children involved with armed groups. Support for child soldiers needs to be improved The perception of a boy with a gun in his hand or a girl who is used as a sex slave is outdated - just like many other views about child soldiers.

To escape their feelings of hopelessness, they join an armed group". Misunderstandings about child soldiers Child soldiers are generally believed to come from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The reality is different: in countries such as Yemen , Iraq , Syria and Colombia , tens of thousands of children are recruited to join armed groups. It is often thought that child soldiers are forced to join an armed group, by abduction or as a means of revenge.

The fact is, however, that many children voluntarily become gang members. They often do this because they see no other way out, due to poverty and lack of work. Or because they are looking for protection, status or money.

Many programmes for ex-child soldiers are aimed at helping ex-combatants, even though the majority of the children who once belonged to an armed group never actually carried a weapon. Most child soldiers are deployed - at least initially - as a cook, messenger or porter.

Often they don't get the help they desperately need. Current interventions miss the mark The existing stereotypes and misunderstandings about child soldiers, their origins, way of recruitment and duties as members of armed groups lead to ineffective reintegration programmes.