Children should be given a chance to be children. Short of that, their childhood is robbed away. They will never be children again. War is such a thief. It makes young souls to become adults trapped in the young bodies.

The stories of hope by the children in Kyaka II Settlement tell it all. Nothing makes more sense for a child than the presence of their parents. But the story here is different. Children woke up to burnt homes with everyone scattering to save themselves. Many lost their parents to death and others to disappearance. These experiences should not be sitting in the heads of these innocent souls. But that is what war does. It destroys homes, livelihoods and dreams.

Reaching for the rainbow is a collection of stories of compassion. The stories break your heart to know that children have lived and experienced such hardships in their lives at the hands of rebel activities and the intertribal conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And yet with all this, these children emerge stronger than you would expect. Ndayishimire Patrick’s Rhythms of Love, Banura Furaha’s The Meaning of my name and the other stories bring out the humane side that resides on the inside of us all.

This book is a collection of poems and stories shared by these young souls. Children should read about the experiences their fellow children have shared here to know about the side of life they could have no idea about.

AUTHOR:       Children at Kyaka II Refugee Settlement

TITLE:             Reaching for the Rainbow 

PUBLISHER:  Quiet Garden Publishing

PAGES:             66

Check out Diamonds Skies of Home also by Quiet Garden