Today, we wanted to share a few of our favorite success stories from around the world. Just know that you are making a difference.
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Ishmael Beah (http://snip.ly/nYtE)
Ishmael was drugged, brainwashed and forced to kill during Sierra Leon’s civil war. As a 12 year old, he was separated from his family and eventually was taken in by a splinter faction of the Sierra Leonean military. They were resisting the RUF rebels but used similar fighting tactics, including the deployment of child soldiers.
UNICEF eventually rescued Ishmael and he was adopted out of a rehab center in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leon. From there, he was taken to America. Now he is a U.N. goodwill Ambassador, a law graduate and a best-selling author.
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Emmanuel Jal
(http://www.projectak47.com/blog-all-posts/former-child-soldier-turns-entrepreneur)
Emmauel Jal was born in South Sudan and, at 7 years old, was enlisted to fight in the South Sudanese civil war. Through many hardships like most of cannot imagine, Emmanuel fought to remember who he was and to never lose his identity.
One night, a large group of children, around 200, ran form the militia. Many of them died as they tried to reach the border. Emmanuel, through sheer strength and, made it into the arms of a British aid worker in Kenya.
Now, at 33, Emmanuel is returning to South Sudan to introduce a new product designing to combat malnutrition among his people. His line of smoothie drinks has been well received, and with this new platform, he now has the audience to speak about his experience as a child soldier.
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Rizal
(http://www.projectak47.com/blog-all-posts/yriv7lmrytxgo4lo6l94c0b446b7qf)
Rizal is one of our favorite young men. After being abandoned by his family and taken in by the local Filipino militias, Rizal felt lost and useless. He decided to escape and pursue an education.
Now, he has graduated as Salutatorian of his class! The Project AK-47 community was able to help him through high school and has now banded together to help him get through college.
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Squirrel
(http://www.projectak47.com/blog-all-posts/meetsquirrel)
Squirrel is from one of our project areas in Mexico. As a young kid, he left school because of violence in his home and went to live on the streets. Eventually he was taken in by a drug cartel and forced to kill for his food and, at some points, his very survival.
Now, as a member of the Project AK-47 community, we have been able to raise enough money to send him to art school. He loves to draw comics and paint. We have been able to help him find his passion, and thus his purpose.
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Our community is the strongest it has ever been. We are contributing significantly to this immensely important movement, and thanks to you all, have continued to do our part in our project areas.
We thank you for allowing us to be the hands and feet of this movement.