A Long Way Gone

Read the book "A long way gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier" by Ishmael Beah!!! It accurately accounts the horrifying events that are being done to child soldiers. You can pick it up at your local book store!

Project AK-47

Project AK-47 takes child soldiers out of hopeless situations and care for them. They work in restricted access regions of Southeast Asia to provide these children with shelter, food, clothing, education, spiritual care and love. You can learn more about Project AK-47 at:

http://www.hopeforthenations.com/project/project.aspx?asset=120

Children Of War - Mick Terry

Hey, followers! Help support child soldier awareness by reading the new lyrics of  the song "Children Of War" by song writer Mick Terry:

     His first contact with an AK,
at the ripe old age- of five,
was the murder of his father outside- their door
by three rebels having a hey-day
as they plundered his- whole tribe,
all- in the names of politics, God- and war.

His mother, beaten & savaged,
had so bravely tried- to fight,
couldn't save his older brothers, both dragged- away.
Through the next two rainy seasons,
he could barely sleep- at night
'til a warring faction came to make him- their slave.

    CHILDREN OF WAR, just puppy sol-diers.
    A much less visible target, but still all trained- to kill.
    CHILDREN OF WAR, just puppy sol-diers.
    They're just little boys with grownup toys,
    playing war that's all- too real.

They drilled him with wooden rifles,
drugging him to follow commands
with a sergeant barely older than his- own age.
& they showed him tricks of survival
in the forests &- the sands.
And they filled his growing heart with a lot- of hate.

    CHORUS

        "Hey, this be fun-. All this killing and fighting.
        Yes I lose some friends, but we not that close.
        Hey, this be fun-. For sure, it be exciting.
        But it be my two big brothers I miss most."

Through sickness, death & attrition,
he progressed up through- the ranks.
By the age of thirteen, he was Lieuten-ant Duan.
& he never knew both his brothers
were both soldiers in- a tank
that his RPG took out early one- gray dawn.

    CHORUS

You can help!

Invisible Children Donation - Charity Navigator gives them 4 stars (highest rating) for the amount of money they actually donate to their cause.  The program donates 85.3% of their revenue directly to children in Uganda and focuses on giving them a better lifestyle. So, donate now and make a difference in a child's life! Every little thing counts.

War is not for children.

Facts:

• This problem is at its absolute worst in Africa, where children as young as nine are being recruited.
• However, most children involved are aged 14-18.
• It is estimated that some 300,000 children are today involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide.
• There are an estimated 9,000 child soldiers in various armed groups throughout Sudan.
• Children are killed and wounded at far higher rates than their adult comrades.
• Many children are abducted straight from their homes to participate in wars.

"The ground exploded around me. For a long time I hoped my leg would come back." Child Soldier, 15

What is a Child Soldier?

A child soldier is anyone who is under the age of 18, used by the military for any type of war task. According to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers -

“Child soldiers perform a range of tasks including participation in combat, laying mines and explosives; scouting, spying, acting as decoys, couriers or guards; training, drill or other preparations; logistics and support functions, portering, cooking and domestic labor; and sexual slavery or other recruitment for sexual purposes.”

Children should not be fighting in these adult wars going on around us. It is morally and ethically wrong to give such young people this death sentence.