On the first week of January, the International Committee of the Red Cross reunited 152 children who have fallen victims to conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with their families. In the period they were separated from their families, these children worked as cooks, porters, messengers, scouts and spies — and even sex slaves and child soldiers.
For these children, and for others like them in other parts of the globe, returning to normalcy won’t be easy. They’ve all seen the horrors of war, have lived and suffered through it. For various reasons, family members sometimes refuse to take them back, leading some of these children to slide back into violence and insecurity.
And Ishmeal Alfred Charles should know. Now currently managing Healey International Relief Foundation’s work with Caritas Freetown in Sierra Leone, he had originally wanted to become a medical doctor — until the 11-year conflict erupted in Sierra Leone.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
