For Australian children, rapid advances in technology have resulted in computer-based learning, a plethora of electronic games, and online play activities.
In Uganda, technological advances mean that a child as young as eight years of age can carry one of the new lightweight weapons now available and participate in armed conflict.
For over 20 years, children in northern Uganda have been the victims of the armed rebellion against the government, led by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). An estimated 20,000 children were kidnapped by the LRA to serve as child soldier and slaves. To avoid abduction, thousands of other children have been forced to commute from their villages to hide in forests, hospitals and churches.
With a truce signed in August last year, child soldiers are now in the process of returning home - having missed out on their education, family life and the innocence of childhood. "These children are extremely traumatised - they have witnessed, taken part or been subject to horrendous acts of violence, young girls have suffered rape and abuse, and many children feel a strong sense of shame and isolation," says Nigel Spence, CEO of ChildFund Australia.
He adds: "Some children have been abducted at such a young age that they have difficulties even recognising their parents and siblings, and find returning to their community very difficult as they fear being rejected and misunderstood. In many cases, children find that their family members have been killed by the LRA."
Nigel says: "Money raised in the appeal will allow us to train teachers, local leaders and village committees about the needs of abducted children who have returned. It will also fund counselling desks to give direct support to these traumatised children."
A crucial aspect of the program will be to assist young people who have no means of financial support, and who have missed out on their schooling. The war has left behind many children and young people who have lost one or both of their parents or carers. ChildFund will establish apprenticeships where vocational skills such as piggery, crop farming and bee-keeping can be learned. ChildFund will also provide seeds and tools for farming to families who are taking care of children affected by the conflict.
In northern Uganda, around 75 per cent of army recruits have been children under the age of 18years. In most cases, these recruits have been forcibly removed from their families. Over 1.6 million families have been displaced, and many are still living in camps as they are too afraid to return home.
"Recovering from such an ordeal would be difficult enough if these children had access to the assistance and opportunities that we enjoy in Australia," says Nigel. "But imagine the difficulties these children face in a country ravaged by war, where poverty and hunger are widespread, and economic opportunities are few.
"Practical income-generating activities are essential for the thousands of children and young people who have been forced out of their communities and denied access to education and skills training.
"Additionally, we need to provide the children with counselling, care and support that is so essential to surviving such an emotionally horrific ordeal."
SUSAN'S STORY
Seventeen year-old Susan was abducted into the rebel Lord's Resistance Army at six years of age. She considered herself fortunate that for the first year of her captivity she was only made to work as a babysitter to the children of the rebel leader, rather than be trained to kill. However, after a year, she was taught how to shoot a gun and expected to fight. From that time on Susan had to carry a gun on her shoulder, while carrying a baby on her back.
Susan was eventually given to one of the rebel soldiers for sex. After four years of sexual slavery, witnessing murders and enforced labour, she managed to escape. She spent a year in a rehabilitation centre in northern Uganda and it was there she discovered that she was pregnant. Susan gave birth to Ronald when she was just 11 years old.
Since then, Susan has been rejected from her community due to her involvement in the rebel army. On return to her village she discovered that her father had been killed by the rebels. Even though she is still only a child she has to deal with all the challenges of being a mother of two young children in a harsh environment, with minimal support and a traumatic history.
There are thousands of children like Susan who need help returning to their communities after the trauma experienced during the brutal conflict in northern Uganda.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
