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John and Mustapha, Sierra Leone, “We have no hope of a better future”

Mustapha, 12 (left) and John, 14 (right) are both war orphans living in Koindu, Sierra Leone. After their parents were killed they were taken in by family friends, but say they suffer physical abuse and have taken to living in the street. Nicholas Reader/IRIN
    KOINDU

    John (12) and Mustapha (14) were orphaned during the war when their parents were killed in front of them. Like many children in Sierra Leone, they struggle not only with the horrific memories of what happened to their parents, but also with the abuse they are currently suffering at the hands of those supposedly caring for them now.

    “During the war, we were in Guinea. The rebels came to the camps and our mother was shot. Our father was tied to a tree and he was killed as well.

    “After the war ended, a neighbour sympathised with us and brought us back to Sierra Leone. But he married a cold-hearted woman who beats us, and deprives us of food.

    “Sometimes she threatens to poison us. Because of the threats at the moment we are living in the streets [of Koindu] during the day.

    “Even when people take sympathy on us and give us clothes, she takes them from us to give to her own children.

    “Every time we make a small mistake, she says “this is why they killed your parents.” She reminds us of them often, and it makes us sad. There are times we go into the bush together to remember them and cry.

    “If we try to go home, she drives us away with a stick - she drives us like dogs, shouting ‘you dirty animals, you’d better get out of my sight’. She just wants to see us dead.

    “We work as labourers for people on their land so they feed us at the end of the day.

    “We have no hope of a better future.”

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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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