I was one of those children forced into fighting at the age of 13, in my country Sierra Leone, a war that claimed the lives of my mother, father and two brothers. I know too well the emotional, psychological and… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
Whenever I speak at the United Nations, UNICEF or elsewhere to raise awareness of the continual and rampant recruitment of children in wars around the world, I come to realize that I still do not fully understand how I could… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
“At night it felt as if we were walking with the moon. It followed us under thick clouds and waited for us at the… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
“I learned that you are not free until you stop others from making you feel worthless. Because if you do not, you will eventually… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
ONE OF THE UNSETTLING THINGS about my journey, mentally, physically, and emotionally, was that I wasn’t sure when or where it was going to… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
For many observers, a child who has known nothing but war, a child for whom the Kalashnikov is the only way to make a… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
My squad is my family, my gun is my provider, and protector, and my rule is to kill or be killed. — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
My mother tongue, Mende, is very expressive, very figurative, and when I write, I always struggle to find the English equivalent of things that… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
Some people tried to hurt us to protect themselves, their family and communities...This was one of the consequences of civil war. People stopped trusting… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
I grew up in Sierra Leone, in a small village where as a boy my imagination was sparked by the oral tradition of storytelling.… — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
My childhood had gone by without my knowing, and it seemed as if my heart had frozen. — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
“Circumstances will change and things will be fine, just hold on a little more” — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
This is one of the consequences of the civil war. People stop trusting each other, and every stranger becomes an enemy. — Ishmael Beah Copy Share Image
