ABSTRACT
Most former child soldiers were enrolled in school before the war began. If a former child soldier had reasonable alternatives once the war ended, successful reintegration and rehabilitation were much more likely. Certainly both rehabilitation and reintegration are significantly challenged with the breakdown of cultural norms and traditions, the loss of respect for elders and religious leaders, the empowerment of child soldiers, and the resultant fears associated with them. Several non-governmental organizations in Sierra Leone worked with both former child soldiers and their awaiting families and communities to address some of these complexities. Programmes within centres such as the family home movement (FHM) and the Nehemiah Rehabilitation Project (NRP) were structured so as to incorporate traditional values and family/community life, love and concern for the child. Former child soldiers who went through the programme had ample opportunities for informal counselling, vocational skills training, spiritual pursuits, and recreational activities.
