Moving on...
Some children end up fighting in wars. Others, like Bintu, 9, from Kissy, in Sierra Leone, have to run away from their homes to escape fighting.
Bintu's family was attacked and their home was burnt to the ground. Bintu was shot in the foot. She still has nightmares about the attack. Like many other people, her family fled their village, and ended up in camps away from their homes. The camps don't have schools, so nearby schools are really crowded, and lots of children aren't able to go at all. Bintu ended up missing two years of school because of the war.
Now she goes to a school near the camp where she lives. It isn't as crowded as most, thanks to a Christian Aid project which built 3 extra classrooms there, and gave them chairs and tables too. She feels really happy there, has made lots of friends and fits in like any other child.
At the schools, there are many children from different parts of Sierra Leone, as well as some ex-child soldiers who have escaped or have been released. It isn't easy to forgive and forget, but these kids are really trying to build a peaceful future together.
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Christian Aid/Clive Shirley
Bintu at school
Christian Aid/Clive Shirley
The camp where Bintu lives is a mile away but she walks to school and back every day on crutches
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