I think this is good news in a sad and frightening world

This is an e-mail from one of my "regular" charities.

"Last week brought in good news for thousands of children caught up in the ongoing violence in South Sudan.

Because of Global Parents like you, UNICEF and partners have secured the release of approximately 3,000 child soldiers from an armed faction in South Sudan. It is one of the largest ever demobilisations of children from armed groups. The first 280 children handed in their weapons and uniforms on January 27, with the others to be released over the coming month.

These children, aged 11 to17-year-old, have been forced to do and see things no child should ever experience. Some have been fighting for up to four years and many have never attended school.

“I know what it is like to be a soldier and it is so dirty,” one of the children told UNICEF workers. “I just want to go to school.”

Working to help create a future for these children doesn’t happen all at once, it will take years. UNICEF is in it for the long run. And we need your support at every step.

The release of thousands of children requires a massive response to provide support and protection these children need to begin rebuilding their lives.

UNICEF is working to reunite these children with their families and reintegrate them into the society. While the family tracing is underway, we will provide these children with clean water, food and shelter.

At the heart of the reintegration programme is their return to school. Preparing the classrooms and the schools themselves, finding the teachers, providing teacher training – all of that will happen in the coming months. It will also be challenging to make that shift from their life in the armed group to a schoolroom."

A small step but a good one, I think.