Finally coming home - after six long years

"I’ve been away from home for six years," says James. "I haven’t seen my mother, my father or my brothers and sisters in six, long years." It’s Saturday afternoon and a light rain has started once again in Port Loko, a small, overcrowded town in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province. In April 1999, Port Loko was surrounded by fighters of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the town was virtually held hostage for 4 months. James (not his real name) is 16 years old. He’s not very tall and he’s built like a boxer – compact, strong, muscled. He’s serious, in control of himself and has a somewhat intimidating demeanour. That is, until he’s asked how he’s feeling. "Well ….", he raises his eyebrows and his eyes get very big and he breaks out into a grin. "Well, I think I’m feeling very fine," he says politely. "Yes, I’m feeling very fine." The rain continues to sprinkle down on James, but he doesn’t appear to notice. Some children dance and clap in the rain – it’s bath-time for them. James moves a few feet away to help load five long, plywood boxes – carpentry kits filled with tools - onto the top of a 4-wheel drive jeep. The plain, wooden boxes signify the culmination of more than a year of skills training and hard work for James. One of the boxes is for James to keep and it represents a turning point in his life. As he helps to finish loading the vehicle outside the Port Loko storeroom, Madonna’s song, "The Power of Goodbye", blares away in the background from someone’s tiny car-speaker "… freedom comes when you learn to let go, creation comes when you learn to say no …" James has learned to let go of his former life and he’s learned how to create a new life with his hands. "I was captured and abducted by the RUF commanders when I was only 10 years old," he says. "They made me do a lot of bad things … but I don’t do those things anymore," he adds quickly. "I never wanted to do them, but they made us. They would kill us if we didn’t do the things they ordered us to do." James spent almost 5 years fighting in Sierra Leone’s dense jungles, in one of the world’s most savage wars. A war fought in large part by abducted children like James, who lived under a daily threat of death, flogging and torture. James fought as a rebel from the age of 10- 15 years – out of his mind on cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and perhaps the most vicious drug of all for an abducted child: fear for his life. These were all injected and induced by his commanders – mostly young men around 18-24 years of age who were also high on drugs – on a continual basis. "I have 3 brothers and 5 sisters living with my parents," he says. "I can’t wait to see them again. I hope they will be proud of me." After the long, rectangular boxes are loaded onto the top of the jeep, James gets in. He’s accompanied by local staff members of the NGO, Caritas-Makeni, including his psycho-social worker and his community reintegration officer. UNICEF is currently supporting the community-based reintegration of child ex-combatants by Caritas-Makeni as a primary source of funds for staffing, training, supplies and logistics. UNICEF also provides technical, co-ordination and training support through the efforts of the Sierra Leone Child Protection Network of which Caritas-Makeni is a member. The jeep rumbles off, bumping along Port Loko’s potholed streets … it is less than a 10- minute drive from the storeroom to James’ home … to be reunified with a family that he hasn’t seen for six long years. During the drive, the rain suddenly lets up and the sun breaks through the clouds. The heat comes on quickly, amplified by Sierra Leone’s humidity. "Port Loko has changed a lot," says James, looking out the windows of the jeep. "So many people – so many street traders. I don’t remember it being as busy as this." But, before there’s time for any other observations, James shakes the shoulder of the driver. "It’s here, it’s here," he says, pointing to the left at a battered house made of concrete blocks with a tin roof. "There they are!" "When James came to us from the jungle after being disarmed, he was very quarrelsome. And, even though he was malnourished, depressed and sick, he was out of control", says Alusine, one of James’ psycho-social workers. "The RUF had given him a new name. During his years in the jungle he was called ‘Young Rebel’. But James has changed greatly in the year and a half since he was disarmed. After much counselling and discussion, he one day told me that he wanted to change his future – that he wanted to learn a skill so he could go home and be with his family. From that day on, he’s been focused on building a new future for himself." Before arriving at the storeroom that morning to pick up his new carpentry kit, James had already travelled for about 2 hours from Lungi, where he has spent the past year of his life at the UNICEF-supported, Caritas Community-Based Reintegration and Vocational Skills Training Centre for Child Ex-Combatants. After disarming in early 2001, James was given the choice of which vocational skill he would like to learn. He had a choice of tailoring, masonry, metal works, auto mechanics, ceramics or carpentry. "My favourite to make is a bed," says James proudly. "It takes me about two days to build a bed. But I can also make cupboards, stools, tables - just about anything anyone wants me to make. I’m a good carpenter. Did you know that Jesus was the son of a carpenter?" "James had never been to school before being abducted and so simply being in a learning environment would have been difficult enough for him in the first place. But he was also used to the rebel life. There, he had a gun and he had power," explains Alusine. "In Sierra Leone, we learn that we must respect our elders. But the rebels turned that upside down and all the child fighters were taught that with a gun in their hand, they could tell their elders what to do and the elders would do it, for fear of their lives and the lives of their family. They knew that if they didn’t immediately obey an RUF child combatant, they could be killed. At the Centre, he had to listen and learn from his carpentry teacher, his psycho-social counsellors and his peers. It wasn’t easy for him, but he really came around and I’m very proud of him. During that time, we were also able to trace his family and set up today’s reunification with them." "The Community-Based Reintegration Project for Child Ex-Combatants is multi-faceted," explains Donald Robertshaw, UNICEF Sierra Leone Child Protection Officer. "Success depends on the willingness of the child to learn a new skill and to learn again how to live in the community. But success also depends heavily on the willingness of the community and family to accept their children back home." "Children like James not only learn a valuable new skill like carpentry or tailoring that builds up their confidence, self-esteem and also allows them to become a productive member of the community, but they also participate in group and individual psycho-social counselling and recreational activities," continues Donald. "These activities help the children deal with the traumas they have suffered while abducted." "The other important aspect is family and community sensitisation and mobilisation for acceptance of these children. This is most effectively achieved through the establishment and work of community Child Welfare Committees, consisting of traditional leaders, teachers, health care workers, local authorities, religious leaders and families. Finally, we need to ensure that such training is not perceived as a reward to child ex-combatants, so the project is designed to ensure access for other vulnerable children who need the same skills training." As soon as the vehicle stopped outside his home, James was out of the door, coming quickly around the back of the jeep. It’s hard to tell who’s moving faster – the woman who is running down the uneven stairs of the house or James. They meet on the other side of the jeep as only a mother and long-lost son can. In seconds, James is lost in a crowd of hugs, tears and smiles as his father, sisters and brothers join in. A few minutes later, a crowd of James’ family, friends and passers-by on the street has gathered on the front porch of the family home. The community reintegration officer is explaining to the group that if they also want their children to be eligible for the same type of training, they should come to their Port Loko office. Some start asking questions as James proudly opens the lid of his carpentry kit to verify the contents one more time before it is signed over to him. Now there’s even more people gathered around, talking and laughing. James’ father has his arm around his son’s shoulders. James’ mother is crying. James keeps turning his head to look at her, anxious to quickly sign for the kit. As soon as he’s done so, he turns, puts his arms around his mother and buries his face in her shoulder. After six long years, James is finally back home. Background Information: As of 26 August 2002, 4,826 out of 5,037 demobilised girl and boy child ex-combatants who are registered with UNICEF partners, have been reunified with their families. These include James and 12 other child ex-combatants who, following graduation from their skills training classes, were reunified with their families in different towns and villages in Sierra Leone’s Northern Province on Saturday, 24 August. There are also 2,241 demobilised child ex-combatants enrolled in the formal education process and 1,036 child ex-combatants, both girls and boys, are enrolled in various vocational skills training programmes throughout the country. The carpentry kit given to James is provided to all carpentry skills training graduates to help them begin their new life as productive members in their community. The kit contains the following new tools: two saws, a wooden hammer, planers, measuring tape, a leveller, hand-drill, screw-driver set, a spoke shaver, C-clamps, metal ruler, sharpening stones, safety eye goggles, a crow-bar, a mortice chisel and gauge and other items. Of the 13 boys reunified on 24 August, five returned to their families with carpentry kits and the other eight returned with sewing machines, having graduated from their tailoring skills training classes. Potential Donors: UNICEF Sierra Leone is currently seeking donor funding to further support this important child protection project. For further information, please contact: JoAnna Van Gerpen, UNICEF Sierra Leone Representative at: [email protected] or Donald Robertshaw , UNICEF Sierra Leone Child Protection Officer at: [email protected]. * Special contribution to IRIN from UNICEF/WCARO, Sierra Leone.