“I lost a leg. It is as if I have lost my whole life”

August 4th, 2009

Louis* is a teenager who was treated by MSF medical teams at Rutshuru hospital. A former child-soldier, he was enlisted by one of the armed groups at war in North and South Kivu provinces and seriously wounded during a fight. His leg had to be amputated. Today, helped by an MSF psychologist, he is willing to forget about the forest, the fighting and the violence. This is his story.

“My name is Louis*. I am 17 years old. When I was 14, I became a soldier. I went to the forest to fight.”

“I was in year 6 at primary school at the time. I had no job and no chance to study. They paid us to fight. 45 dollars. I was a kid, I thought it was a lot of money. So, I agreed to do it.”

“I had a gun. I killed people. They gave us drugs so we wouldn’t feel hungry or thirsty. During one big battle, a bullet hit me in the leg. I stayed in the forest until the fighting ended, then they took me to hospital. MSF doctors looked after me. I was unconscious. Today, I have only one leg left. I move with crutches but actually I’m waiting for a prosthesis. This is my big wish. I’m waiting… And I don’t want to think about the war anymore. Today, I don’t take drugs like the ones I took in the forest. I really regret what happened there.”

“I have grown up compared to what I was like when I became a fighter. I want to tell the children of DRC that you shouldn’t do the job of a soldier when you are young. You suffer a lot.”

“I get treatment here at Rutshuru hospital. And a psychologist takes care of me. This helps a lot. I lost a leg. It is like I lost my entire life! And I saw so many things when I was fighting. Sometimes when I remember certain things, it starts to hit me. And some images disturb me every time they come to my mind. When that happens, I lose all my strength.”

“I listen to music. We only have the radio. When I listen to music, it helps as I have no other thoughts. I used to sing with my parents. But I’ve forgotten all that because it’s been so long since I sang, since I listened to music, I don’t know where my parents are… My aunt is here with me. We are looking for them. But my dad died when I was little.”

“I stay at home a lot now. My best friend is called Jacques*, and I like him a lot. He was not a soldier. We know each other because we studied together. He knows I used to be a soldier. A lot of people know that. I tell Jacques about the war. He’s surprised that I joined an armed group because I was a kid.”

“I have grown up compared to what I was like when I became a fighter. I want to tell the children of DRC that you shouldn’t do the job of a soldier when you are young. You suffer a lot. I want people to listen to my advice. Being a soldier is no job for a child.Children should study. Today, when people ask questions at school, I don’t know the answer.”

* Names changed to protect identity.

Since the end of January 2009, when the Congolese army launched a joint operation against the FDLR (Forces Démocratiques de Liberation du Rwanda) rebel group, the conflict has moved to the North and West of North Kivu. Attacks in Kayna have displaced many people. An MSF mobile team is providing medical care in various locations throughout the region and further south, MSF works in Nyanzale and Kabizo in the camps for displaced people. In Rutshuru hospital (300 beds), MSF deals with medical and surgical emergencies. More infos here.