About The Project

The Child Soldier Reintegration Project helps traumatized and stigmatized former child soldiers reconcile with their war-affected communities in northern Uganda through innovative socio-economic and peacebuilding programmes.

When former child soldiers return home, they do not only face their own war trauma, but also severe stigma and mistrust from their communities. Using locally designed and culturally appropriate livelihood programs and trauma counseling, former child soldiers and war-affected communities are provided with a forum to hear each other’s voices and embody their perspectives, thereby strengthening trust.

GRG also trains community peer counselors to offer sustainable trauma counseling, reducing the number of trauma-related cases such as suicide. GRG’s first group projects resulted in 95% of participants reporting improved relationships between LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) combatants and community members, as well as 91% improved relationships with the wider community.