Communities in Sierra Leone can now live peacefully

After a brutal decade-long civil war, children and young people in Sierra Leone are finding ways to leave bad memories behind them and look forward to a peaceful future

Salamatu jumps high with joy during a skipping rope game with other children. Musa dribbles the ball past Abu to score a goal while Vandy and Manna hit the traditional drums rhythmically with passion and everybody dances.

These are some of the activities children do to forget the disturbing memories of an atrocious war.

They are supported by the School in a Box - a pack of educational and recreational supplies which enable a classroom to be set up almost anywhere. Supplied by Plan, the materials give children who have been through the trauma of war the chance to learn and play so they can begin to rebuild a normal life.

Through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Plan facilitated the incorporation of Peace Education into the mainstream curriculum for elementary school children. 

Plan has also been supporting the Forum for African Women's Educationalists (FAWE) to provide trauma healing and counselling to girls and young women who have suffered various forms of abuses during the war. The forum also established skills training centres to make these girls, who are mostly rape victims and single mothers, self reliant.

Youth groups, such as the Network Support for Peace Education and Peace Pals Education Network have embarked on promoting peace and reconciliation in communities in Moyamba through drama and comedy. They recently screened a film, entitled 'Quest for Peace', on peace education to communities in Moyamba.

Perpetrators of atrocities and victims of the brutal decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone now incredibly live amicably in the same communities after the war. People are now ready to forgive and embrace peace.

Ibrahim fled to Sierra Leone from Liberia after his father was murdered in front of him when he was only eight years old. He fought in the civil wars in both Sierra Leone and Liberia for almost ten years. Like many of his colleagues, he now makes an active contribution to this community and has returned to education.

Ibrahim said: "I want everyone in Sierra Leone to please accept the children who have been fighting and accept them back into the community."

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