This is a student contribution to the Headteacher’s Blog by Ailís Phillips, 7WKH, with the theme of kindness. If you are a student at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form and you want to contribute to the Headteacher’s Blog, visit the Contributions page.

You probably think that war is terrible, but that it is something done by adults in far away countries and has nothing to do with children, like us.

Well I thought so too until I read a news article about child soldiers. You might think this was a one-off; just a particularly awful story. I investigated a little bit further and discovered it wasn’t as rare as I first thought.

By Gilbert G. Groud

Myths and statistics

The name ‘child soldiers’ is not exactly accurate as, though many do fight, some are used as messengers, porters, cooks, spies or for sexual purposes. There are many other myths surrounding ‘child soldiers’ such.

• Myth: child soldiers are only used in Africa.
• Reality: the UN estimated in 2016 that there were 20 conflict zones around the world that involved children
• Myth: that all child soldiers are boys
• Reality: 30-40% of child soldiers are girls
• Myth: that children are all are forced to be child soldiers
• Reality: although many are (especially by ISIS), some are lured by promises of education and/or money.

Not only is being a child soldier a terrible experience when it happens, but it will affect the children for the rest of their lives. Many will not be accepted back into their communities,  particularly in cases where a girl has had a baby with a soldier.

What can you do?

Although there isn’t much we can do to help directly, we can raise money and fund-raise or donate money to charities campaigning to end the problem of using children as soldiers, and to support ex-child soldiers. Two great charities working in this area are Child Soldiers International  and Warchild – as both help those affected.

I reached out to these charities by raising awareness of the problem, and now I invite you to do the same, to help other children who have never had the chance at life you had. Help them live the life that is being taken away from them and support others that do.