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 1 in 10 soldiers in armed conflict
is a child.
At this moment more than 300.000 children are being used in wars worldwide.
 Children who are soldiers. Children who have to fight. Children involved in heavy gun fighting. Children who have to spy and are sent on reconnaissance missions. Children standing guard. Children who carry heavy materials for days on end through rough terrain and jungles. Children who have to perform sexual favors to army commandants.
War Child states that children should never be soldiers. Not under any circumstances. Child and soldier should never go together. But still, it happens. It happens every day. Some of them are only 8 years old.
That is why in the next 1,5 years War Child will raise awareness for the situation of (former) child soldiers. We will do this through focussed events for the general public, press and media, the business community, other aid organisations and the political system - with as final goal as to mobilise them for the situation of child soldiers.
War Child Holland’s Child Soldiers report 2007
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 Marco Borsato hands over the report “Child soldiers, the shadow of their existence” to Mr Bert Koenders, Dutch government minister of development.
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On Tuesday april 10, 2007 at the official launch of the 2 year child soldiers campaign, War Child ambassador Marco Borsato presented the Child Soldiers research report “Child Soldiers, The Shadow Of Their Existence” to Mr Bert Koenders, the new Dutch government Minister for Development. The report focuses on the issue of child soldiers in Colombia.
Download the report “Child Soldiers, The Shadow Of Their Existence”:
 "Child Soldiers, The Shadow Of Their Existence
[English language] - download here
”Kindsoldaten, de schaduw van hun bestaan"
[Dutch language]- download here
“Nios soldados La sombra de su existencia”
[Spanish language] -download here
What is War Child doing?
War Child has programmes aimed at:
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 To view War Child’s new child soldier TV commercial, click here
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Prevention: aimed at preventing children from becoming a part of armed groups
Reintegration: aimed at the succesful return of ex-child soldier into society.
War Child currently has no programmes aimed at the demobilisation of child soldiers nor programmes aimed at the first reception of child soldiers, when they first return from the bush or jungles where they stayed.
War Child Holland has programs for prevention and re-integration in five countries:
1. Colombia (14.000 child soldiers)
2. Democratic Republic of Congo(30.000 child soldiers)
3. Sierra Leone (unknown number)
4. Sudan (unknown number)
5. Uganda (20.000 child soldiers)
What are child soldiers?
Children under 18 years of age who serve in a government army or any other organised armed political group. This could be during a war, but also in situations where (officially) no war exists. With armed groups we mean armies, rebel groups, militias, guerilla groups and paramilitary groups. Besides participating in armed fighting, they also have to place land mines, spy on others, courier services, training and guarding other children, carrying heavy loads, and performing sexual favors. Children from poor backgrounds, orphans or refugees, children without an education and children who live in areas of conflict - they are all at risk of being recruited into armed services.
What can YOU do?
Help us to take the war out of a child soldier! Read more
 View War Child’s links and resources section on child soldiers
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