Child Soldiers -- Out of the Jungle & Into the Classroom

How could a boy be taken by FARC guerrilla soldiers when he was 12-years old, endure 100-mile marches with an AK-47 placed into his hands, be forced to sleep on the jungle floor night after night, year after year -- and still find the courage to escape to freedom? And even if he did, could he find the will to lift himself up & recover from the long nightmare? I initially had my own doubts.

But those doubts have dissolved with time. Two weeks ago we took 25 child soldiers who recently escaped from the FARC -- Colombia's notoriously violent rebel group -- on a retreat to support their emotional, psychological and spiritual rehabilitation. It's a tremendous challenge, no doubt, so when the hardened face of a child changes and we see him smile or even laugh for the first time since leaving the jungle, we always know his transformation has begun.

To see pictures* of the retreat, go to:

http://www.developingmindsfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=78&Itemid=115


Developing Minds Foundation is sponsoring a library, literacy workshop and computer lab to educate these kids and prepare them for their reintegration into civil society. So I would like to ask you to be part of this important project by taking two minutes to make a modest $50 contribution now.

Your donation to help educate these former child soldiers will be a strike for human resilience, supporting the notion that no one is ever lost forever, and that everyone has the possibility to rise above their past, no matter how difficult. To make your contribution so they can prevail over their lost childhood and confront the future with greater confidence, click on Donations at: www.developingmindsfoundation.org

With your help we can ensure they receive the support they need and deserve. As children they spent an average of 3 to 4 years having no contact with their mothers or any other family member, fending off hunger and disease, and ultimately surviving the brutality of armed conflict. But now they have the chance to engage the world in a positive way and continue with their studies so as to enter into a normal life.

For additional information, please feel free to contact me directly. Thank you for your support.

Best,
Philippe Houdard
www.developingmindsfoundation.org


* Precautionary Measures

For the protection of kids in our project, this update does not include any of their names, there is no reference to the villages or states from which they originate, there is no mention of the location of the project, and the identity of our partner organization in Colombia is not disclosed. For more detailed information, please contact me at phoudard at developingmindsfoundation.org