SECTION 2: REINTEGRATION OPTIONS

The sections will analyse the two major reintegration options offered to CAAFAG during the integration process. It will also answer the second research question, namely:

 What reintegration services are provided to CAAFAG, and how do these foster the social reintegration process?

5.5.1 Reintegration Options

Two reintegration options were offered to formerly demobilised children, namely vocational skills training and apprenticeship for those over 14 years old, as well as support to formal education through the Community Education Investment Programme (CEIP).

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5.5.2 Community Education Investment Programme

The CEIP was designed to support the reintegration of school-aged demobilised children by providing them access to formal primary education in government, community and private schools. Assistance was targeted at the school level and not the individual child. Demobilised and other children in the community who attended schools that accepted CEIP benefited from the support that came through CEIP, thus enhancing the overall education level and minimising the stigma against returning demobilised children in the community and promoting their reintegration ( UNICEF 2007: 13).

The goal of education in the reintegration programme was to enrol former CAAFAGs into schools so that they are engaged in routine and constructive activities towards a better future (UNICEF 2007: 15-16).

There were a total of 4,295 (3,295 male, 1000 female) in programme. This was in 582 elementary schools implementing CEIP, 329 public schools, 208 private schools and 45 community schools. It is important to note that the original thinking was that CEIP was to be implemented in public schools. However many private and community schools came on board (UNICEF, 2007: 15-16).

In areas where there were CEIP schools the conditions at the schools in terms of provisions of psychosocial care and support and educational materials improved. In addition, in areas where CEIP was implemented the level of participation of ex- CAAFAG was high, especially in recreational activities.

Provision of formal education was key to the social integration of demobilised children. The CEIP contributed greatly in creating a supportive environment to formerly demobilised children in school. This eventually increased the formerly demobilised children‟s self-esteem and self-value. The enrolments in formal education led to children rediscover the lost opportunity of the war era.

141 One of the CAAFAG observed,

“I was very clever in class before I was recruited in the fighting. I would get 85% and above in the class. When war came to the end, I chose to go back to school. I chose the academic programme. I am even doing better”.

On-job training was provided to teachers to enhance their capacity to provide psycho- social care to children in a learning environment. This training was important in contributing to a child friendly and supportive environment for the formerly demobilised children. The teachers were able to identify children with learning difficulties and provided basic psycho-social support to them. The peer support system among teachers was established to enhance the teachers‟ capacity to deliver psycho-social support to the former demobilised children in the school setting.

The programme provided scholastic materials to schools that implemented the programme. This was in lieu of any school fees or charges. The materials were a pull factor for the schools to accept the formerly demobilised children. The materials targeted the whole school and this contributed to reintegration of the students because they were not being singled out for support. Most of the scholastic materials provided by many agencies targeted public schools, provision of the materials to private and community schools were important in retooling the schools to provide the most needed service to the formerly demobilised children.

Community structures were a very important component in the Community Educational Investment programme. Child Welfare Committee members were trained to provide psycho-social support to children in communities. Children‟s club members provided on the job training in child rights and protection issues. Youth members were trained in life skills activities, child and youth participation programmes. These structures enhanced children‟s social reintegration in many aspects such as provision of psycho-social support, mobilizing children into the reintegration programmes. The structures enhanced acceptability of the formerly demobilised children into the community.

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5.5.3 Skills Training and Apprenticeship Programme

The skills training programme was designed with the understanding that a lot of ex- CAAFAG have lost the opportunity for education during the time of their engagement with the fighting forces (UNICEF 2007: 13). This programme sought to empower young people with basic skills to enable them socially to reintegrate and earn a livelihood. The specific objectives of the programme were to increase opportunities for employment through self-development of the children, in the current weak labour market to provide trainees with basic literacy, numeracy and basic small business management education and to support social reintegration with follow ups and psycho-social care. Some of the trainees were placed into apprenticeship programmes, where trained ex- CAAFAGs were placed for on-job training. Demobilized and other war affected boys and girls above 14 years of age were eligible for the programme. Special attention was placed on girls who were child soldiers, but were not formally demobilized. No child was required to relocate from their respective homes for the sole purpose of accessing the programme. Overall, 5,136 children (3,628 boys and 1,510 girls) benefited from the UNICEF supported skills training and apprenticeship programmes (UNICEF, EU Donor, Report, 2007: 4).

It was acknowledged that the Child Protection Agencies (CPAs) supporting the disarmament and demobilisation of the children did not have the capacity to provide skills and apprenticeship training. UNICEF then identified and commissioned 14 training organisations to implement the project. The main roles of the training organisations were to mobilise the children from their respective homes or communities, verify and register them, identify the most central locations in a community to establish the training centre, provide the training and identify apprentices to participate in the programme and follow up the trainees after graduation (UNICEF, EU Donor, Report 2007:5).

Most of the children interviewed were happy with the training they had received. Below are the statements to affirm this;

143 “I did cosmetology (hair dressing); money from the trade is helping me supplement family income”

“The training brought many things in my life. People look at us good (happy with us). . We are assisting the community”

“I made 3,400 Liberian Dollars (LD) during the festival season. I pay 1,600LD every year for private school”

“I learned pastry. I make some money. I have now saved 1,500LD. At times I pay my own school fees”

“I trained in masonry. I am now moulding blocks. I get between 500-600LD per week. I feed and clothe myself”

The CAAFAG benefited from the various trades. From the trades many were able to earn an income. They felt they were offering a good service to the community, which has improved their self-esteem. They can supplement the family incomes while other children can afford to pay for their education in private schools. Some of the trades were paying during the festive season such as Christmas when the demand is high. More important is that some CAAFAG have stayed together and are doing business together. They are utilising the networks established to enhance their social reintegration to be sustainable.

One CAAFAG boy observed;

“Those who did not disarm, they have no skills they learnt. They cannot show anything they just lecture (meaning they only talk)”.

Attached are photos to substantiate the data gathered regarding Skills training for CAAFAG.

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