Voinjama

Liberia, West Africa

In early 2000, during the civil war in Liberia, Mohammed Kamara, and others were attacked and his father was killed. He was 13 years old. People ran in different directions, and it was the last time that he saw his mother. He later heard that she had died of dysentery. He and some of his friends hid in the bush. Later they were arrested and forcibly recruited to fight. They were told that if they tried to escape that they would be killed. After the attack where he first killed someone, Mohammed managed to escape and made his way to Voinjama, where he was arrested and forced to fight again. He was seriously injured when a bomb went off in a house that he entered. Two of his friends were killed in the incident. Mohammed was taken to Guinea for treatment and returned to the battlefront three weeks later. He fought for several more months under the command of General Leopard, until the cease-fire was announced. A year later, Mohammed saw his former commanding officer again. Now known as Christian Bethelson, he came to Mohammed and others who had fought with him, and apologized for what he had done to them. He begged them to put the war behind them and encouraged them to change. Bethelson is now Director of Youth Programs for everyday gandhis, and is mentoring the youth as Future Guardians of Peace. He brought Mohammed and his friends to the everyday gandhis guest house in Voinjama, and six of them have been living there since December 2006. Mohammed is doing well in school and his dream is to become a surgeon. He and the other youth in the area love to play football (soccer) and thus it was decided that it would be good to start their own team.

Voinjama (traveling on very rough roads) is about 375 miles away from Liberia's main capitol, Monrovia, and nearer (20 miles) to the border with one of Liberias neighbors, Guinea. Although all of Liberia's tribal groups (16 or more) can be found here, the two predominant ones in this area are known as the Lormas (Christian) and the Mandingos (Muslim). It is believed that the Mandingos migrated into Liberia from Guinea, even though these tribes have lived there for many years and both are considered legal tribal groups of Liberia. Both groups are intertwined through marriage and commingled clans and chiefdoms. During the 14 years of civil war, both groups were victimized by each other, deeply dividing the community. Because of these and other factors, Voinjama suffered some of the worst violence in all of Liberia and, physically, was almost completely destroyed. Hence, the remarks of Col. Raza, of the Pakistani UN peacekeeping battalion posted there, The key to peace in Liberia is Lofa County, and the key to Lofa County is Voinjama.
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In Liberia, as in many places, soccer has an almost mythic capacity to unify people. During the Youth Ceremony (mourning and reconciliation) sponsored by everyday gandhis that took place in the Voinjama district in July 2007, many sporting events took place to help to foster positive relationships among the youth in the area. As a result, thousands of area youth are going back to school, settling differences, and enthusiastically participating in sports events. At the request of local youth, everyday gandhis has agreed to help with the organization of a soccer team in Voinjama called Billgandhis Football Club (BFC).

Little Feet's efforts to support these kids will be coordinated by everyday gandhis, an educational non-profit corporation based in Santa Barbara, California. Their current focus is in Liberia, West Africa, where, after 14 years of civil war, peace is taking root.