21 Child Soldiers Need Vital Help

This is Mbale’s story.

Lubero is a small town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, nestled in the green hills near to the Ugandan border.  On the outskirts of the town is where Mbale used to live, before his life was changed forever.

When he was a teenager, Mbale used to go with his father to the fields in which he worked. On a day which seemed just like any other, Mbale’s father was brutally murdered by rebels. As he stood helpless, still a child, the rebels killed his father’s life with a long knife which still plagues his memory.

Distraught and angry by what he’d witnessed, unable to rid his mind of the image of the killing, and unsure of what else he could do in this situation, he decided to join another rebel group to take revenge.

Once in the bush, Mbale was tasked with becoming a shaman for the other soldiers. He had to make potions from the great rivers and plants in the bush, and say magic prayers to protect those who were going to fight. For nearly three years, Mbale was forced to loot villages near to his own home, stealing chickens and goats for the militia members. Mbale knew that he couldn’t survive in the bush much longer.

Then, one day, there was an attack by the government army on the militia group presented a slim chance of escape, for Mbale to return to his family and begin a life of peace. Whilst the rest of the soldiers waged brutality against the army, Mbale and four others snuck away from the camp.

For three long days, the group trudged through rivers and forest, one friend was pulled into a fast river torrent and died. They were forced to steal clothes and bananas from nearby villages to stay alive. The whole time, they were terrified that they would be found and punished for escaping.

Eventually, and completely alone by now, Mbale reached his village. He managed to find his mother, but she was utterly terrified that the militia would come looking for him. He was forced to hide in the house for several months, confined to one room. The rest of the village were unaware of his return.

As Mbale’s mother and siblings fell deeper into poverty without the support of their father, Mbale was compelled to do something. Risking his exposure, he started farming cassava to help support his mother and siblings. After some time, our local partner CRCcame to Mbale’s village. They offered support to soldiers returning from the bush, and provided them with tools and training to lead a peaceful, prosperous life for themselves and their families.

With CRC’s help, Mbale no longer felt isolated, and was able to farm beans, sell fish, and support his mother and siblings. Not only does he no longer have to serve the violent militia, but his mother has a secure home, his sisters are able to go to school, and his family eats meet every week, a symbol of their economic security.

Your donations mean that children like Mbale do not have to risk their lives in the bush, or risk them by leaving it. You can give them a peaceful and prosperous future.