KIMMIE WEEKS CHILD RIGHTS HERO NOMINEE PAGES 90–109 WHY HAS Kimmie BeeN NOmiNATED? Kimmie Weeks has been nominated for the 2013 World’s Children’s Prize because he has spent over 20 years, since he was ten years old, fighting for the rights of the child, especially for children affected by war. WHILE FLEEING in wartime Liberia, Kimmie almost died of cholera. There and then he pledged to spend his whole life helping disadvantaged children. Kimmie and his friends founded ‘Voice of the Future’ and learned about the rights of the child. When Kimmie was 16 they organised a campaign to disarm the child soldiers in the civil war. This contributed to the liberation of 20,000 child sol- When the war in Liberia begins, Kimmie Weeks is eight years old diers. One year later, Kimmie and flees from his home with his mother. In the refugee camp out- had to flee. He had revealed side the capital city of Monrovia, Kimmie comes close to dying of that the newly elected President cholera after drinking contaminated water. He survives and pledges of Liberia, Charles Taylor, was recruiting child soldiers to the to spend his whole life helping children who are suffering because Liberian army. The President of war. He has kept that promise. tried to have Kimmie killed. As a refugee in the USA, Kimmie “ ut woman, your child continued his work for children is dead. He’s not affected by war, not only in breathing any more,” Liberia but also in other coun- B says a man to Kimmie’s tries, primarily Sierra Leone and mother in the refugee camp. Uganda. Kimmie and other He takes the little body from young people now run an her and carries it away. organisation called Youth Finally, Kimmie’s mother Action International. YAI helps gathers the strength to get up vulnerable children, providing a and go looking for her son’s home for orphans, rehabilitation body. When she finds it of child soldiers, education, among people who have health care and more. YAI also died, she shakes it. lobbies governments and par- Miraculously, Kimmie wakes liaments to promote respect for up. the rights of the child. Twenty years later, Kimmie Weeks is known for his commitment to helping CHRIS HONDROS/GETTY IMAGES FOTO: children who have grown up One evening, after boys with weapons banged on the door of the in war zones. home Kimmie shared with his mother, they decided to flee. 90 War is coming mother covers his eyes with over, it’s hard to get hold of Children must be heard! At the beginning of this sto­ her hands. They can smell the food. The UN troops, who Every time Kimmie and the ry, Kimmie goes to school. dead bodies among the gum are there to keep the peace, other children manage to He always sits at the front so trees. distribute food parcels. achieve something, they feel he can hear the teacher and They reach a university, Kimmie leads a group of chil­ good and it gives them answer quickly if he is asked a which has been transformed dren on a walk to their head­ strength to keep going. A UN question. He loves learning into a refugee camp. Kimmie quarters, several kilometres peacekeeper gives Kimmie a new things and knows that he looks around in shock. There away, to ask for food parcels copy of the UN Convention is smart. He doesn’t care that are sick children crying, and to be given out in their area on the Rights of the Child. his classmates tease him, say­ people with empty looks on too. Although the soldiers say “Wow! Do you know what? ing that they can’t see what their faces, staring into space. there are not enough food Us children have rights!” says the teacher writes on the The stench makes Kimmie parcels, Kimmie and other Kimmie to the other chil­ chalkboard because Kimmie’s sick. They manage to find an children keep walking there dren. “We have to make sure big ears are in the way. empty bit of floor in one of every day to ask. Finally, the that they are respected here Rumours begin to spread the buildings, and it becomes people in charge give in. The too!” that rebels have crossed the their home. very next day, they bring sup­ Together the children start border. On TV, the President Kimmie and his mother plies to Kimmie’s area. an organisation called ‘Voice talks about confiscated weap­ have nothing with them. Everyone cheers. of the Future’, and their slo­ ons and images of burnt out They have to beg for food villages are shown. from other refugees, and they “We have come to free the hunt for edible leaves and people of Liberia. It will take roots. The water they manage /SCANPIX is B three days and there will be to get hold of is not clean, but or no bloodshed,” says rebel they have no choice but to /C ert B O leader Charles Taylor on the drink it. That’s when Kimmie R radio. gets cholera and becomes so atrick “I’m afraid,” says Kimmie, ill that people think he’s P and his mother tries to com­ dead. fort him. But things don’t calm Wheelbarrow return down. Quite the opposite When they hear on the radio happens. Rockets start hit­ after many months of war ting houses, and gunfire goes that the country is at peace, on for hours at a time. Kimmie is still so weak that he is brought home in a Had to flee wheelbarrow. Their house is Kimmie and his mother empty. Everything they spend more and more time owned has been stolen or hiding on the floor. Then one destroyed. evening, an explosion shakes As soon as he has his the whole house. Shortly strength back, Kimmie starts afterwards there is banging helping children affected by on the door. Fifty armed men the war. He gathers the chil­ and boys are standing out­ dren in his area and suggests side. None of them wear uni­ that they tidy up all the debris forms, but they have weapons left by the war. The children slung over their shoulders. make an enthusiastic start One of them says: and all the people living in “We have come to free the area are delighted. Liberia. Stay inside!” Their next task is to provide As soon as the rebels have food for the residents of the gone, Kimmie and his moth­ area. Although the war is er sneak out the back door. They follow the flow of peo­ ple fleeing in silent terror. After returning home, Kimmie There are checkpoints every­ and a group of children set up the organisation "Voice of the where, and at each one some­ Future". Kimmie suggests one is beaten or killed. that they should focus on Kimmie and his mother stopping children from being manage to pass the check­ used as soldiers. points. Sometimes Kimmie’s 91 Many homes were destroyed by the war. One of the first things Kimmie and his friends did was to clear up all the mess from the war. Disarm the children! ground. On one occasion the ment Campaign is successful, Kimmie and two other boys soldiers shoot the ground, and over 20,000 children are gan is: ‘Children should be go off to see the rebels with a right between the children’s set free. seen and heard!’ They take cassette player. Whey they feet. The children are so one article at a time from the approach a checkpoint, they scared that they wet their The President’s child Convention on the Rights of put their hands up to show pants and the rebels laugh soldiers the Child. They knock on that they are unarmed, shout­ scornfully. Sometimes By now Kimmie is 15. All doors and talk to everyone ing: Kimmie and the others are their successes motivate the they meet about the rights of “We want to talk to your kept locked up for hours. But young child rights activists to the child. Since no children commanders.” finally they always get to do even more. People know have ever done anything like The rebels think they are meet the commander and ask who they are and what they this in Liberia, they become spies and force them onto the their question: are fighting for. Children famous. “Are you planning to dis­ have never before managed to When they come to Article arm all the children in your make the people who run the 38 of the Convention, which army?” country change their minds. says that children should not All the commanders reply The country is at peace, and be used as soldiers, Kimmie that they will do that, and rebel leader Charles Taylor realises they have an impor­ Kimmie records their prom­ has been elected president, tant task ahead of them. All ises on the cassette player. despite the fact that it was of them saw child soldiers The children then go to radio him who started the war. during the war. At the next /SCANPIX stations and ask them to Kimmie hears a rumour that is B ‘Voice of the Future’ meeting, or broadcast the rebel leaders’ the national army has started /C ert B Kimmie suggests: O promises on the news. training children to be sol­ “We have to stop children R Kimmie is interviewed on diers at a military base near atrick from being used as soldiers!” P radio and says: the airport.