Seeing Malis* at work in his workshop in Yambio, one would think life has treated this young, 26-year-old man well—he appears to be an adept carpenter with a thriving business. His eyes, though, tell a different story.

“For years, I lived through hell,” Malis says recalling his days as a child soldier. Abducted in his early teens by an armed group, Malis grew up with them in the wilderness of South Sudan’s Western Equatoria region. He is one amongst estimated 19,000 children and adolescents used as child soldiers during the civil war in the country. “It was a time of great suffering for all of us,” he continues.  

In early 2018, Malis’s luck turned as he was released alongside others through local initiatives led by faith-based groups in partnership with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as part of efforts to stop recruitment of children into the armed forces and to create conditions for peaceful coexistence among different communities in the area.

“We managed to secure the release of more than 10,000 young men who were armed forcibly when they were young, trained to fight and kill. It wasn’t an easy undertaking and there were plenty of difficult moments. But we persevered against all odds,” said Barani Edwardo Hiiboro Kusala, Bishop of the Catholic Church and Chair of the Faith-based Council for Peace in Western Equatoria. 

Thanks to the dedication of Bishop Kusala and others like him, today, Malis is the proud holder of a certificate in carpentry after completing a six-month vocational training programme at the Tiindoka Vocational Training Center. The programme, supported by the United Nations and partners and implemented by World Vision international, and has helped child soldiers redirect their lives positively as well as reintegrate into their societies and communities.

With the skills he acquired during the programme, Malis started a carpentry workshop in Yambio where he uses his newfound talents to produce necessary items for the local community at affordable rates. Moreover, he provides apprenticeship opportunities for young people as well. “Malis has taught me a lot—now I can make different kinds of furniture such as beds, doors, shelves and smaller items as well,” avers Isaac*, one of Malis’s young apprentices. “He opened my eyes to the fact that with proper skills I can make a decent living and help others,” states Isaac. 

Maria’s* case is different but no less inspiring; abducted and forced into armed conflict at 15, she was released only to find that her father had died. Despite this setback, Maria trained in tailoring and now pays for her siblings’ education with the money she earns from it. “I earn around 2,000 South Sudanese Pounds (approximately 7 USD) a day; this is a huge help for me and my sisters,” she says.

For his part, Christopher Muchiri Murenga, Head of Field Office, UNMISS Yambio, reveals that former child combatants will receive the support they need to address challenges they are facing and realize opportunities for their development within communities. “Our aim is to start an ongoing dialogue among communities on how they plan to overcome obstacles and the opportunities they see to usher in peaceful development. Every small effort that we can make as the UN are geared towards early recovery and durable progress.”

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of former child soldiers