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Louis
Louis
Lakor
We must stop children being used as weapons of war.
@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
Louis
Lakor
We must stop children being used as weapons of war.
Louis's Story
I was kidnapped and forced to become a child soldier. I am now helping former child soldiers in Uganda to learn valuable skills, earn a living and recover from the trauma of their pasts.
When I was seven, I was kidnapped by rebels from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and forced to take up arms against my own people. When they stormed my village in Gulu district of Northern Uganda, the rebels murdered my mother, father and sisters in front of me. As a child soldier, I was forced to kill many people, including my best friend who was too weak to fight for the rebels. At 11, I fled during a Government-organised ambush on the LRA. I risked death to escape my captors but was shunned by those I asked for help because of my past and the trauma suffered by the community at the hands of the LRA.
We must stop children being used as weapons of war.
I was forced to live on the streets and beg for money. My life turned around when I was taken in by a kind man called ‘Baka’ who became a father figure to me. Baka ran a workshop and gave me a job sweeping, before training me in mechanics. In 2014, I transformed the workshop into a youth training centre and fully fledged social enterprise. Here, young men and women with similar pasts to my own, learn skills like welding, tailoring and mechanics. They are able to earn an income, take care of their families and rebuild their shattered lives.
I actively seek out former child soldiers, bringing them to the training centre and giving them a much-needed community where they are understood and supported. As a passionate advocate for improving living conditions and increasing opportunities for Ugandan youth, I serve as a reminder of the resilience of my generation and of the power and importance of achieving SDG 1.
@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
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@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
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