Yeah absolutely shocking but stories in sure you have heard.
Yes very similar if not identical, but they never get any less shocking for me. These places can break the hardest hearts I think.
She has some very good videos on her site.
This photo on her homepage sums up working with African soldiers for me:
1 - 100% alert bloke. Thousand yard stare all day. Family all dead. Probably raised as a boy soldier. Hardship is all he knows. Will kill as easily as he will enjoy smoking a cigarette. Always looking for the fight. This is a way of life for him. Happy to die a warrior.
2 - The 'How fcuk did I get here' bloke that is generally clueless every day and can just about put his boots on and carry a rifle. Usually wears a Man U or an Arsenal footy top under his fatigues. Will chase dogs and giggle when he is meant to be on patrol. No 1 hates him.
3 - Volatile soviet era weaponry. Or worse, made in China. Detonates when it feels like it. Here looks like an anti tank grenade. Bought from the cheapest arms dealer the govt could source, after lying in a depot for possibly decades. Sometimes see African soldiers using them as a club to beat back gangs of inquisitive children.
4 - 'Happy as fcuk bloke' absolutely nothing ever gets him down. Always having a good day and always smiling no matter what. Knows a song he can sing for every situation or scenario. Is devoutly religious. No 1 hates him also. No 2 relies and dotes on him.
5 - Soviet made PKM. Hellish weapon. Although carrying the ammo linked around the body gets it dirty and causes the weapon to jam. Usually when you need it most. There is never a convenient time to have stoppage. No 1 doesn't really care. He just wants to look like a one man war machine.
6 - Made in China body armour. Unable to stop the even the smallest calibre small arms. Might as well be wearing a woolly jumper. No 1 will wear it as a status symbol. No 2 cant find his. No 4 has decorated his with bright paint.
7 - Westerner. Amongst possibly the most dangerous situation in their life so far and armed only with a sense of adventure and overt optimism. Have to respect their bravery and zeal. No 1 will lay down his life for her. No 2 will ask her a million daft questions every day. No 4 wants his photo with her every day.
8 - The UN in every corner of the place. Some good, some bad.