This is a lecture by a former child soldier who has the wonderful ability of story telling. During his account of the events he chronicled in his book, he tells the stories of his life before, during and after the war. His story is remarkable, and the time it takes to hear the entire lecture is well worth it. He makes several points about the orphan cycle of child soldiers.
Ishmael credits his recovery to the passion of people that wanted him to recover. Ishmael placed great importance on two things: The fact that the people who worked at the recovery center were from Sierra Leon, and the sports they used to help them make break throughs in their recovery. He said:
“Thank God that the people who worked at the center were Sierra Leonians, who were deeply interested in helping us. It makes a tremendous difference when people who are from your country, help you to recover. Somebody who is from the outside can easily forgive you, who have not been there during the war. But when somebody, perhaps some of the peoples whose family you had actually you had destroyed, will want to come to take care of you, it makes a tremendous difference.
Another way they did this was sports, football, soccer.”
Without knowing it, Ishmael gave a great testimony for two parts of our strategy. The importance that the work is carried out by the indigenous church. Not only it is important for the community to identify the work being done by the church, but it matters to the children as well. The second part being, our strategy to use sports in the process of growth and healing.
I hope that someday the result of the work of World Orphans means that there are thousands of kids like Ishmael, who are able to tell how the members of their church helped them recover from the cycle that caused them to be an orphan. And that their story does not end there, but it goes on to tell how they also lead them to eternal life.
Listen to his story then leave a comment about what impressed you.
