On a recent visit to the Central African Republic a few weeks ago, I met a yo...

On a recent visit to the Central African Republic a few weeks ago, I met a young woman who was 14 years old when she joined the Séléka. Without training, she was thrust directly into battle, fighting on the front lines against Government forces and witnessing acts of violence and atrocities no child should ever see. I asked her about her hopes for the future now that she was free. She told me that she wanted to be reunited with her parents, who remained missing. With the support of social workers, that young woman will soon begin professional training, still haunted by the nightmare that she has endured, but dreaming, too, of a better future for herself, her family, when she finds them, and, indeed, her country. Her story personifies horror but also hope: the horrors faced by children associated with armed forces and groups but also the hope that, with support, investment and encouragement, we can help these young men and women rebuild their lives, transform themselves and their societies and help their countries emerge from the shadow of conflicts that have included the horror of children losing their childhoods and even their lives.