In Sierra Leone werkt Mind to Change met lokale vrijwilligers. Ex-kindsoldaten die zelf steeds blijven uitvinden hoe ze nu het beste geholpen kunnen worden. In onderstaand verslag (in het Engels) legt Lansana uit met welke problemen ex-kindsoldaten en jongeren in Sierra Leone zich geconfronteerd zien.

The Effect of Drugs on Postwar Sierra Leone
Lansana Juana

Children can be seen as major victim of every conflict in Africa. In this regard, the children in Sierra Leone have been victims of political manipulation and used as an instrument of social violence and destruction. Consequently, the many illiterate youths in the country have turned out to be social miscreants or misfits. They are hooked on drugs, commit robberies, petty thefts, have a lack of respect for elders’, are subject to sexual promiscuity and lots of other social vices. This has become pervasive and therefore a major cause of concern in Sierra Leone and the international community.

In modern times, the poor educational performance, high crime rate, and lack of human rights in the country serve as symbolic pointers to the fact that drug use among youths is a cause of concern to government, international organization and the development partners operating in Sierra Leone.

The use of drugs was the main factor that was responsible for crimes committed by the past fighting forces. All the fighting forces were using children to fight under the influence of drug and alcohol. Mind to kill is the simple word that was used by former child. When they use the word ‘mind’, they often refer to drugs as a tool to kill during the past conflict. Now in the post conflict setting, there are ghettos where you can see these young men and women hanging around looking out for trouble. Some of them still use drugs to get a ‘mind’ to do bad.

Once they are addicted to the use of drugs, and have nothing to do, they run the risk of developing evil thought and involving in petty crimes, which is presently the order of the day in all the bigger towns and cities in Sierra Leone. It is causing a threat to peace and the development process. To sustain peace and provide security for the people living in Sierra Leone, we need to do something about all the ghettos, educate the youths that are there so as to cut down on the use of drugs, and drugs related violence.