Day-to-day, somewhere there are child soldiers fighting and losing their lives. The start of the era originated in Ancient Greece. Over the years, using child soldiers has grown much greater than when it originally started. Africa is the top continent for using child soldiers. What are child soldiers and what do they do exactly? Child soldiers are usually between ages 5 up to 18, either drafted or volunteered for the armed services. They are used to kill and execute crimes. Child soldiers are used instead of adult soldiers because it is quite effortless to manipulate them. Former President George W. Bush made the Child Soldiers Prevention Act into a law. The act was to illegalize armed forces that use child soldiers. Unfortunately, the act …show more content…
Child soldiers have been used for the last few decades, by the Democratic Republic of Congo or (DRC) and other countries such as Iraq, Nigeria, Columbia and South Sudan. Hostile third world countries, like the DRC, have been using child soldiers to fight wars and avoid conflict, “soldiers forced to commit atrocities like murdering, raping civilians, enemies, and even family members” (“U.S. Department”). Since some of the families were poor, their children sign up to be a part of the militia to earn money, meanwhile some were “forced to be a part of it” (Kim 7). Another part that plays in the lives of children who are becoming soldiers is because of hardship and indulgence. In an article called, “Weary from War”, a man named Joseph Kabila, helped lessen the use of child soldiers. He demobilized hundreds of child soldiers. In 2001, the United Nations helped and cared for the child soldiers that Kabila had brought. Resulting from that, numerous militia groups were forced to stop using child soldiers because of the newly elected president of the DRC, Joseph Kabila commands. Little by little Joseph is trying to end the use of child …show more content…
Meanwhile, years after the use of child soldiers, it has come to people’s minds that something needs to happen to stop it. Nevertheless, with the help of people like Joseph Kabila, child soldiering will slowly decrease throughout the years. The trauma that child soldiers go through can be hard for them at times. For example, teenagers Zakaria and Bienvenu had have many nightmares that occur repeatedly, they are trying to move on. In order to do so, they are focusing on getting jobs that they specialize in such as joining the army. Past child soldiers can have a future if they are willing to put the effort into moving on and leaving their past life