The recruitment of children by armed groups in Burundi has continued until very recently. Although the government of Burundi, in partnership with UNICEF, continues to implement a disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program for former child soldiers, the special concerns related to female soldiers remain largely unaddressed. Child soldiers face many kinds of trauma. They have had to witness and commit atrocities, and have been separated from their families and abused. The legacy of violence and neglect that is common for many former child soldiers is exacerbated for female children, who often experienced prolonged situations of rape, sexual abuse and humiliation. Upon returning to their communities, these children face a variety of psychological and social problems. They often become outcasts, feared because of their war time activities. The problems girls face are even more acute: being the victims of sexual abuse puts women outside of cultural norms which dictate that women are not allowed to have sexual intercourse outside of wedlock. Because of their stigmatization, they are shunned, and sometimes even become the victims of violence and harassment. In addition, some girls return with children fathered by the men who raped them. These girls are often expected to work to support their children, meaning they cannot attend school.

Summary

Female Former Child Soldier Reintegration is a treatment, reintegration and community education program to assist former female child soldiers in Burundi by establishing a residential rehabilitation center and by fostering a rural network of respected older women responsible for mentoring and assisting in the reintegration of program participants. The rehabilitation center provides comprehensive care, including mental health, medical, vocational, and legal services to former female child soldiers. The project also trains mental health, legal, and medical professionals in Burundi to work with highly traumatized individuals and to create a constituency for protection and acceptance of children, adolescents, and young adults who were forced or coerced into participating in the civil war.

Activities

To support the needs of former female child soldiers, Heartland Alliance is engaged in the following activities:

• Establishing and running a residential rehabilitation center for former female child soldiers;
• Training and supporting Burundian mental health, legal, and medical professionals;
• Providing mental health, medical, vocational, and legal services to former female soldiers;
• Training a rural network of older women for community mediation and reintegration issues.