Reclaiming children of war: Angel

I met a lot of kids my age and even younger. I would say to them now: “Come home. Colombia and your families are waiting for you.”

— Angel, former child soldier

Angel was 13 when a friend convinced him to join the FARC. He said he liked the talk of equality, but later realized — when he was sent to extort his neighbors — that the mission was to steal and to kill. Today, he writes songs about peace for his a cappella group, and eventually wants to make a movie about his life to share his message with others: “Don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

Learn more about how Mercy Corps is helping Colombia's child soldiers start over in our special report: Reclaiming children of war.