Having handed in their weapons, former child soldiers face a new battle - for acceptance into society. Seth Biderman reports.
‘This isn’t something you can tell everybody,’ 18-yearold Helena Sanchez says. ‘The truth weighs on you.’
Making her way through the staging area for a parade in downtown Bogotá, Helena pauses to take in the costumed street performers and stilt-walkers. Though the geographical distance is not great, the festive disorder is worlds away from the small Colombian town where she grew up – and where, at age 14, she made the decision that nearly cost her life.
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