Former Child Soldiers Seek Redemption

Former child soldier Gabriel Kamara, right, from Sierra Leone walks with fellow students to catch the bus on his way to the University of Almeria, Spain, on March 27, 2007. "War is the worst. We've recovered and all we want is think about the future." Says Kamara, one of four Sierra Leone natives brought to Spain for an innovative rehabilitation program. Countries in Africa, Asia and South America are known to have used child soldiers in war, and the United Nations says at least 250,000 children are believed to still be fighting in about a dozen conflicts worldwide. (AP Photo/Jasper Juinen) (Jasper Juinen - AP)

Before these men set foot in Spain, their only contact with the country came from ammunition and weapons etched with the words "Made in Spain."

The group arrived in early March in Almeria, a southern port city. The rehab program takes four years and is being sponsored jointly by the Todos Son Inocentes, the University of Almeria and the regional government.

In less than a month the men have become celebrities, invited to everything from media interviews on their experiences to concerts and soccer matches. Their home is a youth hostel close to the beach.

"For them being in Spain is like a fairy tale," said Miguel Serrano, head of Todos Son Inocentes, who selected them in Sierra Leone and brought them to Spain after overcoming many hurdles with the country's often-corrupt bureaucracy.

Serrano said he picked these four because they got good marks in high school, had strong family ties and a firm vocation to helping rebuild their country. Six more Sierra Leone natives are to come in 2008, including two women _ also former child soldiers _ who will study to become midwives.

"They had to be totally convinced that their goal was not to reach Spain, that the goal is to go back and work there, getting involved in improving conditions of the people and children in their home country," Serrano said.

In fact, those who sign up for this program must commit to returning home after completing their studies.

Sierra Leone remains plagued by a poverty and crime, with a per capita income of less than $220 per year, according to the World Bank. Although the country is rich in natural resources and minerals, particularly diamonds, the 1991-2002 war brought mineral extraction and agricultural production almost to a standstill.

It has one of the world's lowest life expectancy rates, just 39 years, and only an estimated one-fifth of adults are literate.

Sierra Leone also has the world's highest rate of child mortality: nearly 300 per 1,000 for children up to age 5, according to the World Health Organization. Spain's is 5 per 1,000.

Experts say child soldiers often grow up to become abusive parents and criminals. They find it difficult to adjust to life in civilian society. But Serrano and others say that with help and lot of tenderness, these war-damaged children can become responsible adults.

"They are aware of all the harm they have caused," said Serrano. "They weren't spared any horror. They got it all," he said.

(This version CORRECTS Corrects name in graf 9 to Young sted Joung)