Today, at a conservative estimate, over 300,000 children in about 30 different areas of international conflict are being forced into war.

The youngest child soldier reported was 7 years old.

According to UNICEF, Sierra Leone used 4,500 child soldiers in its 8 years of civil war. During the past 10 years 2 million children have died in war.

Four to five million have become physically disabled. 

Child soldiers are children under the age of 18 who directly or indirectly participate in a military or political armed conflict. These include children recruited to the country’s armed forces or to non-governmental military organisations, even if the country in question is in a state of peace. 

Many ask why children become soldiers. Simply, many are in hopeless situations. Many have had families devastated by war and simply take up arms to survive. Millions are kidnapped and ‘brainwashed’ into soldering. Some are sold by parents, shocking as it may seem. There are many other factors too, political reasons, peer and parental pressure, psychological factors, forced recruitment and so on.

Many live in a constant state of terror – living with extended violence and war as well as pressure from their ‘commanders’ to toe the line or be killed or tortured. Such mechanisms are through force, authority and obedience, psychological manipulation and the use and abuse of mind-altering substances. The children thus become totally dependent on their ‘commanders’ or leaders for all aspects of survival.

When a child soldier is rescued, escapes or is caught, often one is dealing with an individual who has lost all sense of emotional feeling, severed all connections with the past – including blocked off memory of past family, and has little to no regard for life.  

Such is the tremendous job of volunteers who bring these lost souls back to their communities and attempt to help rehabilitate them back into society. For these volunteers this is a tough job and they are commended.