Former Combatants

As part of the peace agreement, former combatants were given financial aid to go to college, as a strategy of rehabilitation. An error made in the haste to negotiate a peace treaty, they were given three years of student financial aid for four year college programs. There are about four hundred former combatants on the Cuttington University Campus, many are third year students, and there is no financial aid available for them to return and complete their senior year and graduate. There is very little financial aid available, and Cuttington is seriously underfunded with few to no options for these young men. When they were conscripted into military service, most were lied to, many faced death, and many were children. Some simply wanted a meal and shelter, nothing more. When they share their stories with me, I see the disappointment and worry on their faces. Many are very good students, and their hope is to re-enter society, and be reunited with their families and communities. They have excelled in service learning projects and outreach programs., and some have told me, "I want to do something good for my country". I believe them, and I see them being let down by society once again.