IOM Colombia and the Colombian Government, with financial support
from the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), this week launched "Small Victories", a book containing
the heart-wrenching stories of 10 minors demobilized from illegal
armed groups.

Small Victories includes stories such as Yomaira's: 
Yomaira gets up every day at 4:45 in the morning.  She
prepares breakfast for her and her five-year-old son, who she calls
"my little chick".  At six sharp she goes to work in a
Referral and Youth Opportunities Center (CROJ by its Spanish
acronym).  Many of the young people with whom she works tell
her stories of "the mountain".  For her, these are very
familiar stories that bring back vivid memories.  When she was
15 she joined the guerrillas, when a National Liberation Army (ELN
by its Spanish acronym) recruiter persuaded her that the ELN was
fighting for the people.  So, without telling her elderly
grandparents with whom she had been living for five years, Yomaira
went to a rendezvous point where she got on the back of a motor
bike and went off without telling anyone.

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Link alt="" border="0" height="12" hspace="0" src=
"/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/graphics/interface/icons_buttons/blue_link_box.gif"> "http://www.oim.org.co" target="_blank" title="">IOM Colombia
website

There are 14 CROJs operational throughout the country, which
provide psychosocial support, training and employment
opportunities, as well as support and follow up to demobilized
minors as they reintegrate into civilian life and recover their
rights.  The centres receive funding from the Colombian Family
Welfare Institute (ICBF) and USAID, and technical support from
IOM. 

Small Victories is a tribute to the 4,347 minors who have
benefitted from the Special Assistance Programme for Children and
Teenagers Demobilized from Illegal Armed Groups that IOM and the
Colombian Government have been carrying out since 1999.

The programme has assisted these young people, victims of forced
recruitment, to rebuild their lives and find better
opportunities.  All of them have been successful in furthering
their education, reuniting with families, or improving relations
with family members and finding opportunities for income
generation, either through employment or by starting small micro
enterprises.

Although there are no exact figures on the number of minors
currently connected with illegal armed groups, the majority of the
boys and girls are forcibly recruited due to poverty, domestic
violence and abuse, abandonment or lack of educational and/or
employment opportunities.  Many times they are deceived with
false promises or even psychologically or physically pressured.

Once in the armed groups, a boy or girl may fight like any other
adult, but they may also perform logistic, training, messenger,
cooking, nursing, information and intelligence duties; all of which
expose them to physical and mental exhaustion and even death. 
A minor may be able to escape an illegal armed group either by
deciding to flee or by being rescued by members of the security
forces.

The publication can be downloaded in Spanish, English and French
at "http://www.oim.org.co" target="_blank" title=
"">www.oim.org.co.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel: +57 1 622-7774

Email: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int